Renewed Light
by IWriteToSurvive
Summary: It took a year for Lucy to come home. She didn't mean to be gone that long. Forced to spend time in the Spirit World so she can recover, what will become of the Light of Fairy Tail once the whole truth is revealed? Marked for death, will Lucy survive long enough to learn the truth of her mother's death? I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL. That honor goes to Hiro Mashima. Rated for language.
1. Chapter 1: Bitter Farewell

**A/N: Hello all, Andromeda here. Okay, I've just recently gotten into Fairy Tail and I have completely fallen in love with it! So, with that out of the way, I just want to make it known that my stories are far from perfect and it may take me a while to update as I work two jobs and am in the mists of planning my wedding. I promise though, I have not abandoned any of my stories and I will update them as often as I can.**

 **Now, for the disclaimer. I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL OR ITS CHARACTERS! Hiro Mashima does. (Total genius, btw.)**

 **I hope you enjoy this first chapter to my latest fic. I look forward to hearing from you lovely readers!**

Renewed Light

Chapter 1

Bitter Farewell

Lucy hadn't told anyone that lately, she could feel her self-confidence wavering. It all started when that stupid potion turned her invisible. Ever since she heard the guild express some of their more – crude – thoughts about her, she's been slowly drawing further into herself. It's not like she really took their words to heart because she knew her Fairy Tail family loved her, but really, that's where it all began. Once everyone returned from saving the Spirit World, Lucy realized she was depressed. Though they might not have held any malice behind their words, it had still started the damage to her self-esteem. Of course, all the things that happened during the Grand Magic Games and with the Eclipse Gate hadn't helped matters. Then, after all that her spirits went through, Lucy couldn't help but feel like she was weak and useless. If she couldn't protect her spirits – those who trusted her the most – then what good was she?

Finally, she woke up one morning and decided that enough was enough. She was done with feeling weak and being depressed. It was high time she took matters into her own hands. A few days later, after setting all of her affairs in order, Lucy made one of the hardest decisions of her life. She decided to leave Fairy Tail. Not permanently, of course. Just to train, to get stronger. She couldn't leave for good. Fairy Tail meant everything to her and she would be lost without it.

Now all Lucy had to do was tell the Master… and her team. That thought caused her to falter in her steps as she made her way toward the guild like usual. Her friends were not going to take this well and it broke her heart to think of their reactions. But she refused to change her mind. This was something she absolutely _needed_ to do.

So, with a deep breath, Lucy pushed the guild doors open and quickly ducked to avoid a chair as it sailed above her and out of the open door. Lucy chuckled and shook her head to herself as she quietly made her way to the second floor when she didn't spot Master Makarov anywhere.

Lucy hid her nervous tremble as she reached the top of the stairs and slowly made her way past Laxus and the rest of the Thunder Legion toward the Master's office. Lost in her thoughts, Lucy almost missed it when Evergreen called out to her.

"Are you all right, Lucy?" the Fairy mage asked. "You look like something's bothering you."

Lucy hesitated for a moment, frowning slightly before she gave the woman a small smile. "I'm fine, Evergreen," she said softly. "Just have something I need to discuss with the master." Lucy turned to address the rest of the group. "Do you guys know if he's in his office?"

Before anyone could answer however, Makarov himself appeared. "I'm right here, child. Did you need something?"

Lucy smiled down at the little old man. "Good morning, Master. I was hoping I could talk with you in private? I have something important I want to talk about."

Makarov frowned, slightly worried. "Of course, come with me." With a nod, Lucy followed the old man down the hall to his office, not noticing the curious stares that followed them from Laxus and his loyal team.

 _Laxus_

' _That's odd,'_ he thought. _'Blondie is usually like a damn ray of sunshine. Something's off. I wonder what's bothering her?'_ Shrugging if off, Laxus put is sound pods back on and looked out over the balcony. Not even two minutes later and Laxus is startled from his thoughts by his grandfather's shouts.

 _Lucy_

"WHAT?" Makarov exclaimed. Lucy cringed and prayed that no dragon slayers had heard the master's shout. Little did she know that a certain lightning dragon slayer had ripped off his sound pods and was now listening to their every word.

"I'm sorry, Master," Lucy said, gently trying to pacify the man before he decided to squash her. "This is just something I feel like I have to do."

"But Lucy," he pleaded. "Surely you don't have to leave the guild to train?"

Lucy sighed and looked down at her hands as they rested in her lap. "I need to get stronger," she said sadly. "After everything that's happened… I can't keep putting it off. I need to strain. I have to get stronger."

Makarov's sigh matched her own. He couldn't bare the thought of one of his children leaving. "You don't have to quit Fairy Tail to get stronger, Lucy."

Lucy smiled softly and was about to speak when the door to the Master's office was flung open with nearly enough force to knock it off its hinges. Both Makarov and Lucy jumped in shock at the sudden intrusion. Turning in her seat, Lucy was stunned to see an angry looking Laxus in the doorway.

 _Laxus_

Listening carefully to the conversation between his grandfather and Lucy, Laxus sat up in his chair and gripped his sound pods. Apparently Laxus wasn't the only one who heard the shout because his entire team was now looking down the hall curiously.

"What on Earthland is going on?" mused Evergreen.

"Laxus," Freed said with a furrowed brow. "What are they saying?" This question went ignored.

Laxus' eyes grew wide at his grandfather's next words. _'You don't have to quit Fairy Tail to get stronger, Lucy…'_ Before he even knew what he was doing, Laxus found himself storming down the hall, barely noticing the shocked faces and calls from his team. In less time than it took to blink, Laxus had thrown the office door open and stood before them in all his fury. It took everything he had to stop the lightning from rolling over his shoulders.

"You can't quit Fairy Tail, Blondie," he practically growled at the startled girl he now towered over.

Finding her voice, Lucy carefully addressed the dragon slayer. "Excuse me? I'm sorry, but I don't see how that's any of your business, Laxus."

Laxus narrowed his eyes, the intensity of his glair forcing Lucy to suppress a fearful shiver. "You're _not_ leaving," he spat. "You can't."

Now Lucy narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms. "You don't control me, Sparky. You have no right to tell me what I can or cannot do."

Another growl escaped him as he drew himself up to his full height and turned to address his grandfather. "You can't let her do this, Gramps. You can't just let her quit the guild and abandon her family!"

Lucy snorted at his words. "Oh, please! Why do you even care, Laxus? It's not like my leaving will affect you in any way. Besides," Lucy said as she sat back in her chair, her face a stony determination. "IF you hadn't so rudely interrupted my _private_ meeting – I can only assume you were eavesdropping – I was about to tell the Master that I don't want to quit the guild. Not permanently, anyway." As Laxus continued to fume at her attitude, a vague sense of curiosity and irritation began to fill him. "I only planned on being gone long enough to train."

A thick silence hung in the air for a moment before Makarov cleared his throat to ease the tension and ask his next question. "You don't want to leave us, Lucy?"

"Of course not," she answered calmly. "I just want to go train for a while."

Makarov nodded. "And how long do you think you'll be gone?"

Lucy shrugged. "I'm not sure. I plan on traveling some. I wouldn't expect to be gone more than a few months. But Loke did offer to help me train in the Spirit World. If I did decide to do that, I'd be gone longer."

"How _much_ longer?" Laxus asked darkly, suspicion lacing his tone.

Lucy looked at him coldly for nearly a full minute before she replied. "Could be a few extra months. Could be a couple of years."

"Years?!" Laxus nearly roared. "Why the hell would you need to train for a _couple of years_?"

"I wouldn't," she said flatly. "Time flows faster in the Spirit World. One day there is three months here. _If_ I was gone a full two years in Earthland time, I would only be there for eight days."

Frustrated, Laxus ran his hands through his hair. "So, what, you go off to train for a few years, leaving your family and your guild behind? You'd be okay with making everyone worry like that?"

Lucy frowned and stood up to face the giant-like man. With her fists balled up at her sides, Lucy took a deep breath before ripping into to older mage. "First of all," she began in a deadly hiss. "What I do with my life is none of your goddamn business. If I want to go off and train, I fucking will and there's nothing you, or anyone else, can do to stop me. I refuse to be controlled – that's why I ran away from home in the first place. Second, you have _no idea_ why I've decided to do this. You haven't got a clue what I've been through. I need space and time away and you will fucking _respect_ that." Lucy took a step toward the dragon slayer and roughly poked him in the chest. "And thirdly, how dare you suggest that I'm some heartless bitch who would just abandon everyone she loves and cared for! Fairy Tail in my home and _all_ of you are my family. I finally found a place where I feel like I belong. I would never give that up without a fight. This wasn't an easy decision for me and I don't appreciate you thinking so little of me and making this harder."

Laxus blinked down at the smaller blonde, shock and something else (dread?) crossed his usually stiff face.

Lucy straightened up and adjusted her long-sleeve jacket before she turned to talk to Makarov once again. The old man looked at her with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open. He had never known anyone to speak to his grandson that way and get away with it.

"Now," she said calmly. "I'm sorry this is so sudden, Master. I hope you can forgive me but this is something I _have_ to do." She hesitated. "After… after my last team mission ended… It's definitely time for me to train."

Laxus furrowed his brows at her words and Makarov spoke to her in a concerned tone. "What do you mean, child? What happened on your last job?"

Lucy stiffened and hung her head in shame. After a moment of two, Lucy decided it would be best to tell the master the truth. "Last week, we went on an S-Class mission with Erza," she said quietly as she avoided looking at the two men. "We were supposed to take out a small dark guild. We were told there were only ten members but when we got there, there were over thirty of them. They ambushed us. We were doing fine at first, then… I messed up. One of the mages could manipulate your thoughts. He tricked me into thinking I was fighting next to Gray when it was really him. He knocked me out when I turned away to go after someone else. I woke up in a nearby cave a few hours later. There were only three of them left but they still took me hostage.

"I… I couldn't move. They had me hanging from some chains and they'd taken my keys and put a spell on them so my spirits couldn't break through their gates."

Lucy sighed as she slowly made to remove her jacket to expose her backless top. "They tortured me for hours," she continued, her voice barely above a whisper as she turned to reveal her bruised and battered back. Laxus' eyes grew wide in horror and he went pale as a ghost. Makarov gasped and lifted a hand to his lips. "They used a cursed whip. I don't remember how many times they hit me. I was numb by the time they finished." Lucy flinched as she eased the jacket back onto her shoulders and turned to face them again. "When Natsu and the others finally found me, I could barely keep my eyes open. After it was all over… Gray carried me all the way back to Magnolia. I asked them not to tell anyone."

"Dear child," Makarov finally managed to say. "You have to go to Wend, immediately!"

Lucy sighed and looked down again. "I already did. It seems that the whip wasn't just cursed. It was dipped I poison, too. Wendy healed me the best she could."

There was a strained silence once again. Lucy shifted from one foot to another as she sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. She was still avoiding their eyes. "I'm tired of somehow always being the damsel in distress. It's time I find a way to overcome that. So, Master, if you don't mind, I'll be leaving now."

With tears in his eyes, Makarov nodded. Only hesitating for a moment, Lucy smiled sadly as she covered her pink guild mark with her opposite hand. She took a deep breath and focused her magic energy to remove the proud Fairy Tail symbol.

Laxus spoke, finally losing his temper again. "You can't do this, Blondie! Fairy Tail needs you!" _I need you._ "Have you even told your team about this? Stop this bull shit! If you really want to get stronger, I'll train you myself! You're not the only person this decision affects! Quit being selfish and-"

SMACK! A resounding slap echoed as a sharp sting formed on Laxus' right cheek. Surprised at the sudden assault, the hulking dragon slayer looked down at the fuming blonde who had just so boldly smacked him across the face. Lucy was shaking in anger and she put off a dark aura.

"How _dare_ you call _me_ selfish!" she said in a dangerously low voice. "I would do anything to protect my friends and family. I would die if it meant I could protect Fairy Tail! Hell, I _have_ died before to save all of Fiore! So don't you _ever_ call me selfish again, Laxus Dreyar!" Lucy turned on her heel to leave the office. "Thank you, Master Makarov," she said as she neared the door. "I'll do my best to keep in contact. Good bye."

Laxus finally recovered from the shock and dashed out of the office and to the second floor railing to look out over the rest of the guild hall.

"Laxus," Evergreen said attentively. "What's wrong?"

"Yeah, Boss," Bickslow chimed in. "What happened to your face?"

A flash of blonde hair caught Laxus' attention and he caught a glimpse of Lucy as she exited the guild. "Lucy," he said in answer. The Thunder Legion exchanged open-mouthed glances as their fearless leader pushed himself away from the railing and resumed his seat. The man was clearly pissed off and his team knew better than to pry. But after three hours of Laxus just sitting there, brooding, Freed finally decided to ask him what happened. The team sat in silence as he told them everything. By the time he finished, Evergreen was nearly in tears, Freed clenched his fist on the table in pain of Lucy's departure, and Bickslow sat forward I his chair with his elbows on his knees and his visor in his hands.

Evergreen spoke shakily as she fought her tears. "She… she'll come back… won't she?"

"Of course she will," Freed replied just as softly. "She said she would and Lucy always keeps her word."

Bickslow nodded in agreement with Freed while Laxus just took another swig of his beer. Laxus observed his closest friends as they looked on in sadness. _Damn it, Blondie,_ he thought. _The rest of the guild doesn't even know you're gone yet and you've already taken the light with you._


	2. Chapter 2: Home

**A/N: Hey everyone, just wanted to say that I'm sorry for the minor errors in the previous chapter. My fingers must have been typing far too fast. Anyway, as usual, I don't own Fairy Tail or its characters. I hope you enjoy my story nonetheless. Hope to hear from you all!**

 **XOXO: Andromeda**

Chapter 2

Home

 _One Year Later_

Lucy stood in the middle of the guild hall and looked around tentatively. All eyes were on her and a deadly silence filled the air. All around her were looks of shock and awe. It had been so long since any of them had seen or heard from the Celestial Spirit mage. Lucy bit her bottom lip nervously as she shifted her weight from one foot to another.

"Hi, everyone," she said cautiously. "It's been a long time… I hope it's all right that I've come home…?" Her words trailed off worriedly in the silence before the noise erupted and several pairs of arms engulfed her.

"Lucy!" cried the voices of Natsu, Happy, Gray, Erza, and Wendy. A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she looked down at all of those currently attached to her waist. Lovingly, she ran her hands through Natsu's salmon hair as he nuzzled his nose into the soft material of the shirt around her waist.

"I've missed you guys, too," she laughed lightly.

"You were gone far too long, Lucy," came the concerned voice of Master Makarov. "You had us all worried!" Lucy grimaced. Even though everyone knew that she left to train, she still felt guilty for being gone so long. "It's been nearly a year, child. What took you so long to come home?"

She flinched. She'd nearly forgotten the time differences of Earthland versus the Spirit World. "I'm sorry, Master," she said as she hung her head in shame. "Time must have escaped me. I was in the Spirit World training with Loke and the others. I forgot that one day there is three months here."

A few of her guild mates exchanged open-mouthed looks of awe. "You went to the Spirit World, Lu?" said a curious Levy from where she stood with Gajeel and her team. "I thought you were going to travel Earthland for your training?"

"I did," Lucy replied as she gently extracted herself from Natsu and the others. "When I first started to train, I spent it all over. Then…" she hesitated and chose her words carefully. "The circumstances changed and I had to finish my training in the Spirit World. It all went by so fast – I didn't even realize I'd spent two days there. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry everyone."

Most of the guild smiled and accepted her explanation but, her team, the Master, and a few others gave her questioning looks.

"Actually, Master," she said as she took a few steps forward. "There's a few things I need to discuss with you." Makarov raised an eyebrow at her. "In private, if you don't mind."

Without hesitation Makarov hopped down from where he sat on the bar and led Lucy up the stairs to his office. Natsu tried to follow them but was quickly rejected by Lucy. "No, Natsu," she said firmly. "I need to speak to Master alone."

"But Lucy!" he said indignantly. "You've been gone almost a year! Something is wrong, I can tell! You're my best friend and you're keeping secrets from me."

Lucy flinched again. "I know and I'm so sorry, Natsu. But I need to talk to Master first. I promise, I will tell you everything as soon as I can. You're right, something _is_ wrong. I'm working on it, okay? Please, trust me."

Natsu clenched his teeth and fists, clearly having an internal battle with himself. "Fine," he said after a minute. "Promise you'll let us know what's going on?"

Lucy smiled gently to hide a slight sadness. "I promise, Natsu. As soon as I can, I'll tell you everything."

The guild was rather quiet and subdued as the waited for Lucy and the master to return from his office. They'd already been in there for an hour and everyone was getting anxious. A few of the guild's resident dragon slayers tried to listen in but a sound barrier of some sort must have been placed upon the room.

Makarov sighed and looked at the girl solemnly. "So, this is why you took so long to return?"

Lucy nodded gently. "Yes. I'm sorry, Master. Truly, I never meant to be gone for so long. I – I had no choice, though. I traveled around for nearly four months before I decided to visit Bosco. I was there a little over a week when I first collapsed. I…" Lucy sighed. "I thought it was just the flu at first, but it wouldn't go away. I could hardly get out of bed for three whole weeks. I think Loke finally had enough because he forced open his gate and went to search for a healer. Took the healer nearly three days to figure out what was wrong with me. It seems that I inherited more than just my magic from my mother… I got the same illness that killed her."

"Oh, Lucy," Makarov said sadly. "The healer found a cure, I take it?"

Lucy looked away. "Unfortunately, no, he didn't. I'm still sick."

Makarov looked confused. "But then, how is it you look so well, child?"

Lucy flinched again. "That's… another reason I was gone so long. The healer couldn't find a cure and I was getting worse, fast. So… to give me more time to try to find a cure, he – he implanted a magic lacrima in me to trap the sickness…"

The tiny guild master looked at her, somewhat terrified. "Lucy! Those kinds of lacrimi are extremely dangerous. It could have killed you – it could still kill you!"

Lucy nodded gravely. "I know. That's why I had to finish my training in the Spirit World. It was the only way to keep my safe while I was recovering. I'm sorry I didn't have time to send you a message before Loke took me away."

Makarov sighed and lightly waved away her apology. "Never mind, child. How long with that lacrima be able to contain the disease?"

Lucy slumped in her seat. "Well, normally it would only work for about a year. The Spirit King was able to expand its power for me, though. He was able to triple that time. So, minus the six months of Earthland time I missed while I was there, I still have about a year and a half before the lacrima will start to fail."

"My child," he whispered. "My dear girl, how can I help?"

Lucy smiled softly. "I have grandpa Crux looking into everything and I've also asked Princess Hisui and Yukino to keep an eye out for any information on it. They're all hoping to find a cure… I know it's asking a lot of you, Master but, could you possibly see about researching it through the Council as well? I've been working on my own but I can only get my hands on so many books and I know the Magic Council had a private library they'd never let me near. There _has_ to be something, somewhere about this illness. I just… I need help finding it."

Again, the old man nodded. "Of course, Lucy. I'll do whatever I can to help you. I think you should also consult with Levy on this matter."

Lucy grew slightly panicked. "Oh, no! I can't, Master. I don't want to worry her. I don't want anyone in the guild to know, yet. I just spent all that time training to get stronger. And I really did get stronger. If everyone knows, they'll just pity me and treat me like some fragile doll. I don't want that."

Makarov looked like he wanted to argue but seemed to think better of it. "Fine," he said, reluctantly. "If you don't want your friends to know because they will worry too much, I suppose I can understand that. But I must insist that you confided in at least one of your guild mates. Levy could help you look for answers but if you prefer not to worry her, then I suggest Freed. He is just as good at such things."

Lucy hesitated but eventually gave a resigned sigh as she crossed her arms. "Yes, I thought I might ask for Freed's help. I know he'd keep it quiet for me and he is quite good at what he does." Lucy stood from her seat. "I'll go find him and see if he's willing to help."

"He's currently on a mission with Laxus and the rest of the Thunder Legion. They're scheduled to be back in three days. So, for now, why don't you go get your new guild mark so we can celebrate your return!"

Lucy gave him a bright smile as she followed him back to the main floor. The second Lucy sat down at the bar, she was bombarded with hugs and squeals of delight.

"Where do you want your new mark, Lucy?" Mirajane asked, smiling sweetly.

Lucy thought for a moment then carefully moved her top aside to expose the tops of her breasts and collar bone. "Right above my heart, please. Could I have it in grey this time?"

Mira blinked in mild surprise but didn't hesitate in her answer. "Of course! My, my, that's certainly a change from last time."

Lucy smiled warmly. "I know," she said. "But it feels more fitting this time." Mira only nodded at her as she firmly pressed the stamp to the exposed skin over Lucy's heart.

 _Time skip… Three days later_

As the clock ticked closer to 10 pm, Lucy began to fidget in her seat at the bar. Master said Freed would be back from his team mission today. Normally Lucy wouldn't be so impatient but, as every second passed that she wasn't using to research her illness felt like a waste, she was eager to speak to Freed and hopefully gain his assistance.

An hour later, Lucy found herself knocking back shots with Cana as the rest of the guild placed bets on who would pass out first. Only four people (Makarov, Mira, Gray, and an amused Gildarts) bet that Lucy would win. Poor Cana never really had a chance as Lucy had a secret weapon; the lacrima in her body was absorbing most of the alcohol she consumed. No one really noticed when the guild doors opened and four people now observed the scene in front of them.

Finally, after about twenty-three shots of the strongest vodka Mira had to offer, Lucy slammed back her twenty-fourth shot as Cana slipped from her stool and promptly fell asleep on the floor, muttering about a rematch.

"I win!" Lucy shouted in triumph as she lifted another shot in the air before downing it with a victorious laugh. The guild exploded in disbelief and money exchanged hands as the losers grumbled. Makarov chuckled in glee at the large amount of jewels he won before he spotted his grandson in the doorway with his team.

"Welcome back, brats!" he shouted over the noise as he raised his mug in greeting.

Lucy's ears perked up at the Master's proclamation and she whipped around in her seat to look at the new arrivals. Once her eyes found the familiar face of the green-haired Rune mage, Lucy stole a shot of whiskey out of Gildarts' hand, knocking it back as she quickly slid from her stool.

"You better slow down there, Lucy," he chuckled.

She flashed him a rather cocky smirk. "Don't you worry about me, old man. I didn't end up on the floor like your lovely daughter." He just barked out another laugh and shook his head as she walked away.

Quickly, Lucy straightened her forest green army jacket and made a bee line for Laxus and the astounded Thunder Legion before they could really gather their bearings to move. Within seconds she had pushed her way through the crowd and smiled up at the team before her. "Hey guys," she said as she took a moment to look at each of them.

"Lucy!" squealed Evergreen as she flung her arms around the blonde's neck. "You're back!" Lucy chuckled as she returned the hug and carefully extracted herself before she suffocated.

"Good to see you, Cosplayer!" Bickslow said with a big smile, his tongue rolling around as his babies floated behind him.

"It's good to be back," Lucy said quickly, only sparing him a small glance before she locked eyes with Freed. "Sorry guys, can't talk right now. I have to borrow Freed really fast." She didn't even give them a second to react before she grabbed Freed by the hand, lacing their fingers in a death grip so he couldn't escape, and dragged him to a less populated area of the guild. Freed yelped in surprise and nearly tripped as Lucy tugged him away. The entire guild watched on with a mixture of emotions on their faces: shock, awe, curiosity, bewilderment. And one or two faces held irritation. What on Earthland was Lucy going to do? And with Freed, no less.

Lucy finally came to a stop along an empty wall and turned to face the shocked and flustered man as he righted himself.

"Is there something you need, Miss Lucy?" he asked cautiously.

"Yes," Lucy nodded with a serious look as she crossed her arms, almost as if shielding herself from something. Taking a deep breath and nervously biting her lip, Lucy quickly stated her need. "I… I need _you_ , Freed."

Lucy flinched. She knew how that must have sounded to everyone and she mentally slapped herself for her poor choice of words. Freed looked at her incredulously then furrowed his brows in confusion. "Me? Whatever for?"

Lucy, noticing the audience they now had, held up a hand. "One moment," she muttered as she took a generous step away from Freed. Briefly, Lucy closed her eyes to gather the necessary magic energy. She opened her eyes and swiftly drew her hands into herself before gracefully sweeping them above her head the then arc them downward to her sides. When her palms were parallel to the floor, she released the magic that had built up in her tiny hands. "Celestial Circle of Silence!" she commanded firmly. Instantly, a warm glow enveloped Lucy and Freed as a twinkling, golden magic circle formed beneath their feet and extended several feet in each direction to encase them in a translucent dome. When the spell was complete, Lucy sighed and once again looked up at Freed. Now she could talk to him without anyone hearing.

Freed gave Lucy and open-mouthed stare after observing the magic. So did the entire guild. Clearly Lucy had learned a lot while she was away. Before Freed could even compliment her on the impressive sound barrier, Lucy plunged right into an apology that baffled him at first.

"First, I wanted to say I'm sorry, Freed. For leaving like I did, I mean," she said as she bit her lip and sheepishly ran her hand over the back of her neck. "I didn't mean to upset people when I left for my training. I'm sure, by now, Laxus told you everything about the day I left," she paused here and Freed nodded once. "Right, well, I'm sorry I left without giving everyone a proper good bye. I'm home now, though, and I need your help." She smiled carefully at him.

Freed was silent for a moment before a flash of anger overtook him. "How dare you?" he seethed, glowering at her. "You've been gone nearly a year. You didn't even say a word to us – to _any_ of us! Do you have any idea – I can't believe – all this time you've been gone, and no one has heard from you in seven months! You had Master worried sick! And now you have the nerve to ask me for a favor?"

Lucy flinched as he yelled at her. Though she had not expected this kind of anger from Freed, of all people, she knew she deserved it.

"I know," she said evenly. "I know. It's not fair of me to ask you for anything. And I'm so sorry for that. But I'm getting desperate, Freed. Trust me, I wouldn't be asking for your help if I didn't have to. I need your help with some research."

"Research?" Freed asked. He straightened up and made to turn away from her. "You don't need my assistance for something like that. I'm sure your friend Levy would-"

"I can't ask Levy," Lucy said, quickly grabbing the sleeve of Freed's coat before he could completely dismiss her. "I don't want to worry her." Freed paused to look at her curiously. "I…I'm sick, Freed. While I was away, I went to Bosco. I fell ill and I just wasn't getting better. Loke, he got tired of seeing me so sick, so he sent for a healer…" Freed turned to face her again, this time, a concerned look graced his handsome features. He nodded quietly, urging her to continue her story. "Well… the healer took a few days to figure out what was wrong… and – now that I know what's wrong – I was hoping you'd be willing to help me research… to try and find a cure…"

Freed looked at her, confused, and she knew what was coming next. "The healer couldn't find a cure? You seem perfectly healthy to me."

Lucy cringed. She hoped Freed wouldn't be upset about the lacrima like the master had been. "That's because… we were running out of options. Nothing else was working. We were desperate and-"

Freed interrupted and looked at her sternly. "Lucy," he said firmly. "What did you do?"

Lucy bit her lip and looked down in shame. "The healer… he contained the sickness… in a lacrima…"

Freed's eyes widened. "You don't mean…?" he practically whispered.

Lucy kept her eyes to the floor and nodded slowly. "It's in my chest. Right next to my heart."

Silence filled the space between them and Lucy chanced a nervous look at the man. Freed's face was growing redder by the second and his eyes narrowed in anger. It didn't take long before he exploded in a shaking rage. He blew up; ranting and raving about how dangerous such lacrimi were. Freed stomped around her inside the magic circle, flailing his arms about and shouting. Lucy stood there in a fragile, guilty looking state, letting Freed get all his frustrations out.

"…stupid! Disease Confining Lacrimas are far too dangerous to be trusted! They're illegal for a reason, Lucy! How could you let such a thing to be implanted in your body? It could-"

"I had to," Lucy interrupted gently. She finally looked up while Freed continued to pace in front of her. "I had no choice."

Freed let out a small growl of frustration as he scowled and turned away from her. "There's _always_ a choice-"

"I'm dying, Freed," Lucy blurted out.

Freed froze. His eyes grew wide and his face went pale. Slowly, he turned to face Lucy as her words seemed to echo around them. The weight of her statement was crushing. As if frightened, he carefully looked at her again.

"I… I know it was reckless to let him put that lacrima in me. Believe me, I didn't want it at first. But then I started to get worse and… I don't want to die, Freed…"

Lucy's voice was all but a whisper by the time she finished. Silent tears made tracks down her cheeks. Something in Freed must have snapped because he quickly rushed to her side and, without hesitation, he drew her into his arms, tucking into his chest protectively.

Lucy was shocked by the sudden contact but was glad of the comfort he was offering. Lucy curled her fingers into Freed's coat and allowed herself to bury her face in his chest to hide her tears. Though Freed stood stiff as a statue, he held Lucy to him tightly, on hand around her waist while the other gently cradled her head to his chest.

Freed's expression was blank while they stood there together for several moments. His eyes seemed far away, lost in thought. Once Lucy's sobs subsided, Freed leaned down to whisper softly to her. "You're not going to die, Lucy," he said. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

Lucy pulled away from him quickly and looked up with careful, hopeful eyes. "You mean you'll help me, Freed? You'll help me find a cure?"

Freed nodded firmly. Lucy's eyes lit up and she smiled so brightly, the entire room seemed come alive. A delighted squeal escaped her lips as she launched herself at the Rune mage, flinging her arms around his neck. Startled, Freed patted her back awkwardly as she hugged him.

"Thank you so much, Freed!" she happily screeched. Freed didn't even get a chance to reply before Lucy pulled herself away from him again, grabbed his face in both of her small hands, and quickly pecked his lips.

Freed froze and looked at her in wide-eyed bewilderment. A soft, embarrassed blush rose to his cheeks. _That_ was unexpected. Lucy didn't seem to notice his reaction because the next moment she had grabbed him by the hand and proceeded to drag him out of the guild, muttering about which books they might check first. She didn't even notice the stunned faces of the entire guild as she hauled him away.

Freed felt an intense stare boring into his back as he allowed Lucy to pull him out of the doors. He gulped. He would have to deal with Laxus eventually.


	3. Chapter 3: Quite The Show

Chapter 3

Quite the Show

 _Laxus_

It had been a long day for Laxus and his team. Their job had been harder than expected and their train had gotten back to Magnolia later than scheduled. Laxus wanted nothing more than to sit down at the guild bar with a pint of beer.

The Thunder Legion was walking and keeping light conversation and, the closer they got to the guild, the louder the noises of cheering and laughter became. The four companions exchanged confused looks. The guild hadn't been this loud since Lucy left. What was going on?

Cautiously, Bickslow pushed the doors open. The scene that met their eyes was anything but expected. It seemed that the entire guild was gathered around two female figures sitting at the bar. Everyone was shouting words of encouragement at the two women. It looked like someone foolish had challenged Cana to a drinking contest. Their entrance had gone unnoticed so, Laxus, Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen silently observed the scene unfolding before them.

From their position, the group could only see the backs of the two competing females. Cana was easy to recognize in her usual outfit and her dark hair falling in waves down her back. The woman sitting on her left however, was not so easily recognized. She wore faded black skinny jeans, dark green high-top shoes, what appeared to be a solid black tank top covered in a dark green army jacket, and her long blonde hair was pulled up in a high pony tail. She seemed confident as she raised another shot to her lips. Something about this woman seemed familiar to Laxus and his team appeared to feel the same. Unfortunately, the room was far too crowded and drowning in the smell of alcohol for the lightning dragon slayer to pick up on her scent or possibly hear her voice.

"This is their twenty-third shot," said Macao from the back of the crown, nearest the Thunder Legion. "How are either of them still standing?"

Wakaba chuckled. "They're a lot younger than we are, pal. Looks like Cana may have finally met her match."

Laxus turned his attention back to the competition and his eyes widened when Cana slipped from her chair as the blonde knocked back what was apparently her twenty-fourth shot.

"I win!" came the victorious shout of the unknown female, her arms raised with another shot reaching her lips. Most of the guild groaned and grumbled as money exchanged hands. Laxus, however, had frozen on the spot when the blonde's shout had reached his ears. _No… it couldn't be… yet, it sounded so much like…_

Before Laxus could even finish his thought, his grandfather caught his attention. "Welcome back, brats!"

Apparently, the Master's bark also piqued the interest of the blonde because she perked up and swung around in her bar stool to face them. The second he saw her face, Laxus felt his heart skip a beat and he barely registered the gasps of his team. _Lucy._ Laxus watched in awe and confusion as Lucy stole a shot of whiskey from Gildarts. They exchanged a few words and Lucy smirked at him before squaring her shoulders and walking away. Laxus was so focused on the fact that it _really was_ Lucy and she _really was_ back that it almost didn't register that she was making a bee line right for him. It wasn't until she greeted them that he noticed all the changes in her. Her hair appeared to be longer, her style was shockingly different from before, and her choice in her new guild mark was very unexpected. Laxus could sense something different about her magic as well. She seemed grounded and powerful. But it was her eyes that threw Laxus off the most. Though they were the same chocolate orbs he wished he could get lost in, they weren't as bright as they used to be. There was an emotion there that Laxus couldn't quite place, but he knew he didn't like it.

Laxus missed most of what was said while he observed her but snapped out of it when she quickly reached for the person standing next to him.

"… I have to borrow Freed really fast."

Freed yelped in surprise as Lucy dragged him away and Laxus frowned at the sight of their laced fingers. _What the hell was going on?_

Laxus (and virtually the entire guild) watched at the Celestial beauty stopped in front of an empty wall with a very frazzled looking Freed. The guild was so quiet now, with everyone's curious eyes upon the pair. No one had to strain their ears to hear what was said next.

"Is there something you need, Miss Lucy?"

"Yes. I… I need _you,_ Freed."

Something in Laxus nearly snapped and he had to keep himself from letting out a growl. _What was this all about? Lucy couldn't possibly mean that his it sounded. Could she? No. No way. Besides, Freed looked too confused at her statement. And anyway, Freed wouldn't keep secrets from his team. Not secrets that huge, anyway._

"Me? Whatever for?"

Laxus let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. He was relieved that Freed was confused. Lucy seemed to finally realize that they had the entire guild as their audience.

"One moment," she said. Laxus watched closely as she took a step back. After a brief moment of silence, Lucy performed a spell unfamiliar to him. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful Lucy looked as she swept her hands above her head and back down to her sides. "Celestial Circle of Silence!"

Though immensely impressed by the new spell, Laxus was instantly irritated when he realized he could no longer hear what was going on inside the magic circle. Curious whispers echoed around the room, everyone wondering what the odd pair could possibly be talking about. Laxus followed Bickslow and Evergreen silently as they sat down at the nearest table, never taking his eyes off of Freed and Lucy.

Laxus watched carefully as Lucy seemed to launch into some kind of speech. When he saw her flinch at the response she received, he glanced more closely at Freed. Though he couldn't see his friend's face clearly, he could easily tell he was angry by his posture. More words were exchanged and for a moment it looked as if Freed was going to walk away from their conversation, but Lucy appeared to desperately cling to his sleeve. _What in Mavis' name was going on?_

Whatever Lucy said next must have sparked his interest because Laxus noticed his curious and concerned expression before Freed faced her once more. Lucy cringed again and Laxus grew even more frustrated that he couldn't hear anything. Lucy seemed to be nervous and she looked at the ground and fidgeted. Apparently, she was rambling because Freed lifted a hand to silence her. Whatever Lucy said next must have been the wrong thing to say. In the next moment, Freed was stomping around the Silent Circle, his arms flying around him. Laxus stared at the green-haired man in shock. Lucy's words must have hit the wrong buttons with Freed because his face was red and it was clear that he was yelling at her. No one had ever seen Freed lose his cool like this before.

Lucy must have muttered something alarming then, because when he saw Freed froze and go from and angry red to a ghostly white, and overwhelming sense of dread overcame Laxus. What could she have said to make a fear like that cross Freed's face? Whatever it was, Laxus knew he wasn't going to like it.

He watched Freed face Lucy again and he had to stop himself from reacting when he noticed the tears falling down Lucy's face. Instinctively, he wanted nothing more than to comfort to blonde woman but, he knew he couldn't. Apparently, Freed had the same instinct because he didn't waste a second as he threw caution to the wind and had drawn Lucy into his arms. Laxus had to stop a growl again as it tried to creep up his chest at the sight of how intimate the two appeared. _Freed was his best friend. He could never… not when he knew how Laxus felt about the woman… would he? Did Freed have feelings for Lucy that Laxus had been too blind to notice? No, he couldn't. Right?_

All rational thought left him as he watched what happened next. Freed nodded and Lucy smiled a genuine smile up at him before she launched herself into his arms again. Laxus froze as, in the blink of an eye, Lucy seized Freed by the face and gave him a kiss. His face appeared emotionless but, if anyone had been paying attention to him, they would see the hurt and betrayal in his eyes. Then, as quickly as she had yanked him away to begin with, Lucy dragged Freed away once more, this time leaving the guild.

If Laxus hadn't caught a glimpse of Freed's surprised and somewhat guilty face, he might have punched the man as he was pulled by. Instead, Laxus settled for staring intensely at the man's back, knowing that Freed would be able to sense it.

Freed would have a lot to explain the next day.

* * *

 **A/N: I know this chapter isn't very long but I'm trying to show how Laxus reacts to seeing Lucy for the first time in nearly a year. And his jealousy and confusion were rather fun to write. Hope to have the next chapter up shortly!**


	4. Chapter 4: Have Some Faith

Chapter 4

Have Some Faith

Neither Freed nor Lucy had been to the guild for three days following their little spectacle. Everyone was dying to know what they were up to. After checking at Freed's place it was determined that the two of them must be at Lucy's. Problem was, no one in the guild seemed to know where her new place was. It appeared that she had even refused to tell her team where she now lived. Laxus was getting very irritable at this point and he couldn't stop his mind from imagining all kinds of inappropriate scenarios between the two. Bickslow and Evergreen had given up trying to talk to the man. It was clear to all by the sparks emitting from him that he was in a foul mood.

Finally, around noon on the fourth day, the guild doors opened and in walked Freed and Lucy. Their arms were laden with books and they were whispering to each other. Not many paid them much attention as they walked to an empty table near the stairs, but the second Laxus caught their scents he ripped off his sound pods and was listening to their every word from his normal perch on the second floor.

"…you made a promise, Freed," Lucy whispered sternly.

"I know, but-"

"No!" she said flatly. "You promised me you would keep this private. You can't tell anyone!"

"But, Lucy," Freed whispered desperately as they set their books down on the table. "I honestly think they could help us. I know you wanted to keep this quiet but it's just not ideal! We could cover so much more ground if we had help from others. There isn't much time to find-"

"You think I don't realize that, Freed?" Lucy sighed. "I'm the one this whole this effects. Trust me, I know the risks of not telling anyone. Besides, we've still got a year and a half left."

"That's if it doesn't start failing before then! Haven't you already had to have Loke make an adjustment to it?"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "I already told you, that was a special circumstance. Going from the Spirit World to ours put some strain on its magic, but it's fine now. There haven't been any problems since."

Freed seemed frustrated now. "Lucy! Just because it hasn't happened yet again, doesn't mean it won't! We need outside help!"

"I told you, we _have_ outside help. Yukino, Crux, and Master have already agreed to help us. I even have Princess Hisui looking."

"What if that's not enough?"

Lucy sighed again as she slumped her shoulders. "It is plenty. But, if it will make you feel better… how about this; if we can't find anything in the next nine months, you can bring them in, too."

"Nine months!" Freed exclaimed. "But, Lucy, that's-"

"It's exactly half of the time we have left," she interrupted. "If we can't figure it out by next spring, then I'll agree to let others in." Lucy gestured to all the books on the table before them. "Look at all the progress we've already made, Freed. We've gotten so much farther than I would have on my own! We make a good team, Freed. I'm confident that we can find answers before spring even gets here."

Freed was silent for a moment before he seemed to cave. "Fine," he sighed. "Next spring. But if _anything_ happens before that, if it acts up again, I'm telling them."

"I guess I can live with that," Lucy agreed.

 _What the hell?_ None of this was making sense to Laxus. _What on Earthland were they talking about?_ Finally, Laxus had had enough. It was time to get some answers. He stood abruptly and gestured for Bickslow and Evergreen to do the same. Swiftly, the trio made their way down the stairs. Their approach went unnoticed.

"What the hell is going on here?" Laxus demanded when he finally stood behind the two mages.

Freed flinched but Lucy seemed to be prepared for such an interrogation. Patiently, Lucy turned to face the fierce looking dragon slayer and the two who flanked him. "I'm not sure what you mean, Laxus," she said as she crossed her arms.

"Don't try to pull that shit with me, Blondie," he seethed. "What's going on? What's failing? What has Loke had to make adjustments on? Why do you need Freed?"

Lucy narrowed her eyes at him. "Eavesdropping again, I see. Didn't you learn your lesson the last time, Sparky? Or do I have to remind you to mind your own business again?"

Laxus growled. What was it about this woman that could make him want to throttle her and kiss her all at once? It was maddening. "Just tell me what you need Freed for."

Lucy arched an eyebrow. "No," she said.

"Blondie!" he hissed warningly.

"No, Laxus. My purpose for needing Freed is none of your concern."

"He's a member of my team!"

"Freed is his own person and he can make his own decisions. I came to him with a little problem-"

Freed snorted. "Psh… _little_ …"

Lucy glared at the Rune mage before she continued. "-and he agreed to help me. This is a private matter that I have no desire to discuss with you, Laxus."

"It sounded like something important," he retorted, crossing his arms as well.

Lucy nodded. "It is important, but that doesn't mean it's any of your business. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go talk to Mira. Apparently she has a special request mission she wants me to take a look at." Lucy quickly sidestepped the group and left to find the white-haired take-over mage at the bar. Laxus, Bickslow, and Evergreen all turned to Freed who was rubbing his temples in apparent anxiety.

"What the hell is going on, Freed?" Bickslow asked.

"Spill," demanded Evergreen.

"I can't," he said as he looked at each of them.

"Bull shit," Laxus practically growled again.

Freed sighed. "I'm sorry. I don't wish to keep secrets from any of you but, I've already promised Lucy to keep it quiet for now."

"This is ridiculous," Evergreen said irritably as she put her hands on her hips. "What could possibly be so bad that Lucy wouldn't even let you tell us? We're your team!"

"I'm dying," Lucy deadpanned from behind them. They all turned to face her with a mixture of expressions, namely confusion.

"What's that supposed to mean, Cosplayer?"

Lucy kept her expression as one of mild boredom with a hint of irritation. "It means exactly that. You caught me. I'm dying of an illness and I need Freed to help me find the cure." Lucy looked at each of them in total seriousness before she rolled her eyes. "Seriously, guys? If I won't tell your human lightning rod of a leader, what makes you think I'll tell the rest of you?"

Bickslow and Evergreen exchanged hurt looks. Lucy instantly felt bad for telling the truth but acting as if it was a lie. "Look, you guys," she added offering them a small smile. "I've already made a deal with Freed. He's helping me with a mission of sorts and we agreed that if he and I can't figure it out by next spring, we'll ask more people for their help."

"Lucy," Evergreen pleaded quietly. "Please tell us what's going on. I'm worried about you."

Bickslow nodded in agreement. "So am I, Cosplayer."

"We're _all_ concerned, Blondie," Laxus said softly.

Lucy paused and looked at Laxus in awe and curiosity. She was not expecting him to be so soft spoken. She smiled warmly at him but he could see the sadness in her eyes and his heart clenched almost painfully.

"I know you all worry," she said carefully. "I promise, when it's time, I'll tell you guys everything. Have some faith in me, please? That's all I ask." Lucy adjusted her posture and reached for her books before they could protest. "I'm sorry, Freed, but I have to go. There was an emergency request for me in a small village near Clover Town."

Freed's eyes grew wide. "You're taking a mission? _Now_?"

Lucy chuckled. "Yes, I am."

"But, Lucy, what about-"

"Oh, it's fine, Freed. This mission shouldn't take more than a week. Actually," she said pulling out the request flyer. "I wouldn't expect to be gone more than a few days." Bickslow took the flyer from her hands, looking over it curiously.

"Lucy, it really isn't wise," Freed continued.

Lucy cocked an eyebrow at him. "It's fine, Freed, really. The train ride there is, like, four hours long. I'll have plenty of time to search through these books on my way there. If I find anything, I'll let you know. You still have that spare communications lacrima I gave you, right?"

Freed nodded. "Yes, but that wasn't my point. I'm more concerned about your safety."

Lucy snorted.

"Freed's right, Cosplayer," Bickslow said seriously as he handed the flyer back to her. "This mission looks dangerous. You shouldn't go alone."

Lucy just waved him off. "I'll be fine, Bickslow. It's just a small problem with a spirit. Nothing I can't handle."

" _Small problem?_ " he said incredulously. "That spirit had been destroying the town and terrorizing its people for a month! With the size of that reward, I'm surprised it's not an S-Class mission!" They had been expecting Lucy to roll her eyes and argue but instead they were all surprised when she chuckled lightly. "I'm not seeing what's so funny," Bickslow glowered at her as he crossed his arms.

Lucy snorted at his child-like response. "It's sweet that you're worried, Bixy," he blanched at the somewhat girly nickname. "But trust me, I'll be fine. This spirit will be easy to deal with."

"How can you be sure?" Freed asked calmly, though Lucy could see his concern.

The Celestial mage smiled mischievously at the group. "Because I'm about ninety-eight percent certain I already know which spirit it is. And if I'm correct, he'll be easy to handle."

Evergreen tilted her head in curiosity. "Which spirit is it?"

"An old friend," she replied gently before frowning. "Hopefully, anyway. There is a small chance it could be someone else. That could be a bit of a problem… hmmm… ah, well, won't know until I get there!" Lucy smiled and shrugged before she turned to leave the guild again. She did her best to wave at them without dropping her books. "Be back in a few days, guys!"

 _Laxus_

Before anyone could stop her, Lucy was gone and all of them were left with a sense of uneasiness and a little bit of foreboding.

"I've got a bad feeling about this, Boss," Bickslow said.

Laxus nodded. "So do I."

"Then let's follow her."

Laxus was about to agree when a voice sounded from behind them. "I wouldn't do that if I were you guys," Mira warned them. They all looked at her quizzically. "Don't you guys remember why Lucy left in the first place?" Mira scolded them in her motherly way. She sighed. "Lucy has been off training for a year. She's a lot stronger and she's much more confident in her abilities now. If you guys follow her on her job, she'll be upset that you guys don't trust her enough to take care of herself." They all exchanged looks. Mira was right and they knew it, but they couldn't quite bring themselves to stop worrying. Mira saw their resolve and rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Fine, follow her if you want," she said as she made to return to the bar. "But don't say I didn't warn you when she catches you and kicks you all into next week!"

All four of them flinched, knowing what it was like to be on the receiving end of one of the Celestial mage's famous kicks. Laxus couldn't shake the bad feeling he had, though. It seemed that Bickslow couldn't either, so, they decided to follow her despite Mira's warning. Freed and Evergreen decided to stay, however. So, within the next hour, the two men found themselves buying train tickets and sneakily following Lucy onto the train. So far, she hadn't noticed them and the two were desperately trying to keep it that way. Neither of them had any particular desire to incur the wrath of the blonde woman.

Little did they know, a certain take-over mage had already informed Lucy that the two might try to follow her. Oh, if they did follow her they would be in for a world of pain when she got back to Magnolia…

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys. Sorry this chapter is a little shorter than normal and probably a little boring for you. But, I didn't want to make it too long and I feel like the next set of events deserve their own chapter. So, at the risk of you all hating me forever, I'm going to end this chapter here and move on to the next one.**

 **Oh, and I'm loving all the reviews you kind people are leaving me. I really appreciate it. It's encouraging to see so many people genuinely enjoying the stories I have to tell. The next chapter should have much more action involved and I can only hope I do it justice. So, until next time!**

 **XOXO ~Andromeda**


	5. Chapter 5: The HUnt

Chapter 5

The Hunt

Lucy spent the four hour train ride using her Gale-Force glasses to read all seven books she had brought with her. She had hoped to find something useful in regards to her sickness. Unfortunately, none of the books mentioned a disease that displayed symptoms like hers. As Lucy made her way through the village to meet with the mayor, she let out a sigh of frustration. She knew she hadn't been searching long, but she'd really hoped to have found _something_ by now.

Before she knew it, Lucy found herself resting in her tiny hotel room, having already attended a brief informational meeting about the job request. She fell asleep with a special book on Celestial spirits laying open across her lap.

* * *

Lucy woke only a few short hours later when the early summer sun crept through her hotel window. She sat up and stretched. As much as she hated waking up at the crack of dawn, she knew it would be necessary for this particular job. So, less than an hour later, Lucy found herself strolling to the edge of the village while munching on a chocolate muffin.

By the time she had reached the edge of the forest to the south of town, the sun had begun to warm the air. Lucy took a quick look around to assess her surrounding before she silently entered the forest. She'd been hiking for nearly an hour when she first got the feeling that she was being watched.

Lucy kept herself prepared for an attack just in case, but she honestly wasn't expecting one. If she was being completely truthful with herself, she already had her suspicions as to who it was. So, the next time she heard a rustle of leaves, Lucy feigned curiosity and carefully paused to look around her. Though the two mages were good at hiding and keeping their presence quiet, Lucy could feel their magic energy in the air around her. She might not be able to see them, but she knew they were there. For a moment, Lucy debated if she should call them out on their stalkerish ways or not. Quite frankly, she was furious with them for following her all the way here, but she had more important things to focus on at the moment. Like finding this spirit and the special key that went along with it. Slowly, Lucy continued to walk again, having decided to let the two idiot think they hadn't been discovered. As long as they didn't screw up her job, she would let them live. For now, anyway.

It was nearing noon when Lucy paused in her search of the woods again. She was starting to get a little frustrated at this point. She knew how tricky this spirit was to track down but honestly, it had been nearly six hours and all she could find were minute traces of it. She had stopped near a stream to pull out her keys. Lucy bit her lip, thinking about which spirit she could summon to help in her search when a quiet rustle sounded from about ten yards to her left. Lucy forced her magic outward to gently probe the bushed where a low growl was now coming from. Cautiously, Lucy took a few steps forward with a smile on her face. Finally, her search was going somewhere.

Lucy was almost to the bushes when a loud crash sounded from behind her followed by a pained grunt. It sounded like Bickslow had fallen down. She spun around quickly to face the disturbance when she felt a soft rustle brush past her legs. A streak of rust colored fur shot out from the bushes she had been pursuing and fled, moving deeper into the dense forest.

"No!" Lucy exclaimed as she dashed after the sneaky spirit she had been hunting. "Come back! Damn it!"

Lucy ran after the bolting creature for a few minutes, vaguely aware of the two figures following her again. Suddenly, there was a flash of bright red light from ahead and Lucy knew the spirit had fled back to the Spirit World for the time being. She came to a stop and let out a sound of frustration.

"Son of a bitch!" she said loudly before whipping around to face her stalkers. They were going to pay for this! ""Bickslow! Laxus!" she shouted at the trees she knew them to be hiding behind. The two men slowly emerged. Bickslow looked guilty as all hell but Laxus just seemed bored. "Damn it, guys!" she said as she stomped toward them with her fists clenched. "Do you have any idea what you've just done? I was _this close_ -" she indicated a small space between her thumb and forefinger "-to catching that spirit! Now you've gone and spooked him and I have to start all over!"

Bickslow looked sheepish while Laxus just stood there stoically. Lucy pushed past them to return to the bushes the spirit had been hiding in as she continued to rant. "I mean, for fucks sake, guys! Now he's not going to trust me and he's probably going to hide his key in a new spot. Gah! Do you guys know how long I've been searching for the Element keys? I'll be surprised if he hasn't gone back into hiding now, thanks to the racket you two made!"

Once Lucy reached the small cluster of bushes she slowly began to circle it, inspecting it closely. The two mages who continued to follow her watched her curiously as she grazed her hand over the green leaves in front of her. They watched in silence as Lucy muttered words in a language they couldn't understand. It seemed to be some kind of spell because Lucy's hand glowed a soft gold before fading to a dull blue.

"Damn," she hissed softly before running a hand through her hair in frustration. She let out a resigned sigh before she promptly sat on the ground to meditate. As Lucy took a deep breath to prepare herself, a soft cough caught her attention. She looked up and narrowed her eyes at the man who had made the noise.

"What do you want?" she said with a small huff.

Laxus ignored her warning tone. "What the hell are you doing on the ground like that?"

Lucy looked at him for a moment before she closed her eyes. "Meditating."

Laxus looked at her like she was crazy. "You're just going to meditate in the middle of the forest? That's dangerous. What if something were to come along and attack you?"

"Isn't that why you guys are here?" she asked in a bored voice. "To protect me?" Lucy peaked one eye open to look at them. "I _can_ take care of myself. Besides, if it wasn't for you two, I wouldn't have to stop in the middle of the woods to meditate anyway." The two men exchanged confused looks as Lucy closed her eyes again, shifting into a more comfortable position. "If you hadn't scared the spirit off, I could've been done with this job by now. But you tow morons couldn't keep quiet while stalking, so now I have to track down the spirit's key instead of talking to him directly."

"You…you knew we were following you the whole time?" Bickslow asked. Lucy could hear the guilt in his voice.

"Of course I did. I'm not an idiot. Now be quiet, I need to concentrate."

Lucy half expected them to argue but was pleased when no further words were spoken. With another calming breath, Lucy focused all her energy on pushing her magic outward to hopefully find what she was looking for. It took a while, but eventually, Lucy felt the familiar pull of a hidden Celestial key.

As if she was a marionette, Lucy felt herself be lifted from the soft forest floor.

"What the hell?" she heard Bickslow exclaim in shock.

"What's going on, Blondie?" Laxus demanded.

Thought Lucy could hear them a feel what her body was doing, she couldn't respond to them. The pull of the key was too strong and her magic had taken over to head its call. Lucy felt herself begin to float along as the key pulled her toward it. She opened her eyes and just let her magic guide her.

 _Laxus_

Laxus and Bickslow watched Lucy in bewilderment and she began to float above them. She was bathed in a bright green light and she looked enchanting, to say the least. _What the fuck is going on? What kind of magic is this and where was it taking Blondie?_ When he saw Lucy open her eyes, both he and Bickslow let out cries of surprise. Instead of her normal chocolate orbs, her eyes were completely white and they seemed to glow faintly.

"What the fuck?" he shouted. "Blondie, are you all right? What's going on?" No response. "Answer me, damn it!"

"I don't think she can, Boss."

Laxus let out a frustrated growl. It seemed as if his friend was right. "Damn. I guess we just have to follow her then. Make sure she doesn't float into a trap or something," he mumbled. Bickslow nodded in agreement and they followed Lucy as she followed along ahead of them. They were walking along for a good thirty minutes when Laxus finally got irritated enough to speak again. "Where the hell is she going?"

Bickslow shrugged then Laxus heard the sound of rushing water up ahead. Lucy must've heard it too, because she seemed to speed up a little.

 _Lucy_

The pull of the key was getting stronger and stronger the further she went. When the sounds of a nearby waterfall could be heard, Lucy felt herself begin to go a little faster.

Finally, they broke through the dense trees and found themselves on the bank of a small river at the base of a quaint little waterfall. Lucy felt herself gracefully lower her legs. Her feet gently touched down on the ground. Slowly, Lucy looked around with her unblinking, white eyes. Softly, the key began to pull her closer, forcing her to look at the cascading water of the waterfall. Lucy smiled as she saw a glint behind the curtain of the crystal clear oasis. There must be a cave behind the falls.

"There you are," Lucy all but whispered as her eyes faded back to normal and she regained control of her body. Watching her step, Lucy made her way to the water's edge to further inspect the river.

"Cosplayer?" Bickslow said cautiously. "You back to normal now? What was that?"

Lucy didn't bother to look up. "Celestial Spirit Tracking spell."

"Hate to break it to you, Cheerleader, but I don't see any spirits around here."

"That-" she said as she picked up a nearby stone, chucking it into the middle of the water where waterfall met river. "-is because I wasn't tracking a spirit. I was tracking his key." Lucy huffed as she realized there was no other way to retrieve the key but to swim.

"There's a Celestial key here?" Bickslow said, impressed.

"Yes, and it looks like it's hidden behind the waterfall," she replied. Then, to herself, she added. "Leave it to _him_ to hide his key in his opposite element. Sly bastard." Then Lucy began to peel off her boots, socks, belt, and pants.

"Woah!" Bickslow cried as his cheeks went pink. "What are you doing, Cosplayer?"

"Getting the key," she said simply. "There's no other way to get behind that waterfall so it looks like I'm stuck swimming for it.

Laxus seemed irritated that Lucy was so easily taking her clothes off. Especially in front of Bickslow. "Why don't you just have one of your spirits get it for you?" he snapped.

Lucy rolled her eyes before looking at him in mild irritation. "Because my spirits aren't tools, Laxus. Besides, for a Celestial wizard to be worthy of a key, they have to find and retrieve it themselves."

Bickslow frowned. "But can't you buy silver keys in magic shops?"

"Yes, but this isn't a silver key," she replied as she shrugged out of her jacket to stand in only her underwear and black tank top. Lucy looked down at herself in her tank top and plain, black underwear. A slight hint of embarrassment filled her and she was instantly glad she had put on modest, boy-short panties that morning. "Now," she said, turning back and stepping into the cool river. "Keep an eye on my things will you? I'll be back in a minute!"

"Blondie!" Laxus barked at her.

Lucy ignored his clear protest and quickly found her footing on some smooth rocks. With her arms out to keep her balance, Lucy called back to them men standing on the river bank. "If anything happens to my keys while I'm gone, I'll kill both of you!" Having already gauged the depth of the middle of the river, Lucy quickly dived in from where she stood, hearing the concerned shouts from Laxus and Bickslow before she went under.

In no time at all, Lucy was pulling herself up on the slippery stone floor of the cave behind the falls. Looking around, she wasn't even sure it really could be called a cave. It was small and shallow, more of a cavern, really. There was plenty of room for Lucy to stand a move around but she knew that if someone as large as Laxus or Elfman were to enter here, they would definitely be uncomfortable.

Glancing around, Lucy spotted the key above her head, dangling from an old tree root that was sticking out of the ground. Carefully, she reached up and pulled the key off the gnarled root. Once it was securely in her fingers, Lucy sighed as a warm, tingling sensation started in her fingers and traveled up her arm. It was almost like the key was humming for her. She smiled and in to time at all she was jumping back into to water with the key between her teeth and she dove under once more. When Lucy broke the surface again she spotted Laxus pacing while Bickslow had decided to sit with his arms and legs crossed next to her belongings.

In all, it only took about five minutes for Lucy to return to the river bank with her small treasure. This didn't seem to quell Laxus' worries, though. The second Lucy crawled out fo the water again Laxus was towering over her with a growl on his lips. "What the hell were you thinking, Blondie? You could've gotten hurt!"

Lucy rolled her eyes and she tried to wring out her hair as best as she could. When she finished she took the key from her lips and puller her other keys off the forest floor. "I'm fine, Sparky. Now, will you calm down?"

This was apparently the wrong thing to say. "No!" he thundered. "No, I won't! You can't just jump into a river like that! That's stupid – you could've been injured. I can't believe you would do something that dumb!"

Lucy sighed and turned to Bickslow with her hands on her hips. "Does he always over react like this?" she asked the Seith mage. Bickslow had to suppress a cackle as Laxus snarled.

"I'm _not_ over reacting-"

"Yes, you are," Lucy interrupted bluntly. "I was perfectly safe and I knew exactly what I was doing. You're being ridiculous. You don't see Bickslow freaking out, do you? _No._ Now, will you please back off so I can change my clothes?"

Laxus seemed to shake with rage as he took a few steps back. _Seriously, what was his problem lately?_ "You shouldn't be taking your clothes off in the middle of the woods anyway. Anyone could've seen-"

Lucy snorted as she pulled out Virgo's key. "Oh, please! It's not like I got naked. Besides, this is nothing. My bikini shows much more skin."

"That's not the point!" he seethed.

Lucy sighed in frustration. "What the hell is your problem, Laxus? Why does it matter to you if I dive in a river or take my clothes off in the woods?" Lucy didn't even let him answer. "You know what? No, I don't even care. Fact is, Laxus, you _are not_ my keeper and you can't control me." Lucy turned to call Virgo forth. "Open! Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!"

"How can I serve you, Princess?" said the maid spirit upon her arrival.

"One second, Virgo," Lucy said as she turned to scold Laxus some more. "And another thing; if you tow hadn't scared the spirit off in the first damn place, I wouldn't have had to do any of this. So you can quit trying to lecture me over my actions and start minding your own!"

"Should I punish them, Princess?" Virgo asked in her monotone voice.

Lucy smirked at her pink-haired spirit. "No, Virgo. These two are _mine._ " Bickslow gulped and Laxus clenched his jaw. "Can you get me some dry clothes from home?"

"Of course, Princess," Virgo bowed before flitting away in a puff of smoke. Less than thirty seconds passed before Virgo reappeared with a dry top and bra.

Lucy frowned. "Virgo, where's-"

"Big brother offered to bring your panties, Princess."

Lucy glowered and shouted. "LOKE!" With a shimmer of golden light the dreamy lion spirit appeared with a teasing smirk on his face. He dangled a small pair of lace panties from his finger.

"Yes, my love?"

Lucy narrowed her eyes at the mischievous man before snatching the garment from him. "Damn lion! If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times; stay out of my underwear drawer!"

Loke pouted. "Aw, don't be like that, beautiful. I only wanted to help."

Lucy snorted in disbelief as the two spirits went back to their world. She missed the angry look Laxus gave Loke. "Stupid, overgrown cat," she grumbled.

Bickslow chuckled. "He hasn't changed much, has he?"

Lucy shook her head but smiled all the same before she retreated to get changed behind a nearby tree. Finally in dry clothes again, Lucy made her way back to the two muttering men. Without saying anything, she pulled on her socks and boots before securing her belt and keys. She stooped to pick up what was quickly becoming her favorite jacket.

"What now, Cosplayer?" Bickslow asked, shaking Lucy from her thoughts.

She looked up at them absentmindedly as she began to pull her hair into a side-braid. "Well, _I'm_ heading back to the village to finish my mission. I suggest you two head back to Magnolia. Shouldn't you guys be helping with the Fantasia Parade?"

"Not a chance, Blondie," Laxus said as he crossed his arms defiantly. "We aren't going anywhere without you."

Lucy let out a resigned sigh as she began to dig through her jacket pockets. "Are all dragon slayers this damn stubborn?" she muttered at a growl from Laxus and a snicker from Bickslow. Finally, Lucy found what she had been looking for in her pockets. "Ah-ha! Well, if you're going to continue stalking me, I guess I'll see you back at the village."

The men exchanged odd looks before they turned to Lucy in unison. Both of them looked baffled at what Lucy was now doing. She was digging into a small, purple, draw-string bag. Almost gingerly, Lucy pulled out what appeared to be a tiny black marble.

"What's that, Cosplayer?"

Lucy smirked. "It's a black hole."

"A black hole? What's it for?"

Lucy laughed and winked at the curious Seith mage. "You'll see," she said before she tossed the marble on the ground as her eyes glowed briefly with her magic. A solid, black circle appeared on the ground between them and Lucy smiled. She looked smugly at them before she gave them a two-fingered salute. "See you later!" she chirped before stepping into and falling through the black hole, disappearing.

Their faces were priceless.

* * *

 **A/N: Not as much action in this one as I originally thought there would be. But, I still like how it turned out and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Til next time!**

 **~Andromeda**


	6. Chapter 6: Vulpecula

Chapter 6

Vulpecula

* * *

Lucy almost fell over with laughter as she bent to pick up the marble at her feet. Their faces were just so funny when she jumped in the hole, she just couldn't help herself. She had reappeared at the edge of the woods on the outskirts of the little village.

Lucy twirled her new key between her fingers and smiled. She had finally found one of the Element keys and this one used to belong to her mother, as it were. Deciding to summon the spirit, Lucy walked to the old fountain that marked the edge of town. The thing was empty and starting to fall apart, but the surrounding area was deserted so it was perfectly suited for her needs. With a flourish, Lucy raised the bronze key in front of her and was about to begin the summons when lightning struck behind her.

 _Laxus_

"Blondie!" he shouted as he watched Lucy fall through the hole in the forest floor. Instinctively, he tried to go after her but the hole disappeared as soon as she was gone.

"Woah," Bickslow said with awe. "That was cool!" He seemed completely unaware of his friend's inner turmoil and obvious distress at the woman's sudden disappearance. Laxus let out an irritated huff. "Oh, I'm sure she's fine, Boss. She probably just went back to the village."

Laxus scowled. Why did Lucy insist on driving him crazy? Was it her life's mission to give him a heart attack before thirty? Couldn't she just heed his warning, for once? Couldn't she see that he cared for her and worried about her wellbeing? Was it _so hard_ to believe that he was only trying to make sure he – no, the guild – didn't lose her again? Why was she so frustrating to him? And why did he have to care so damn much about her in the first place? Whatever it was, Laxus knew that Lucy Heartfilia was going to be the death of him.

The dragon slayer grabbed a hold of Bickslow's arm and quickly used his lightning to transport them back to the edge of the village. Lucy was going to get an earful.

 _Lucy_

Lucy looked over her shoulder at the brilliant flash of lightning. She smirked to herself. The two men were facing away from her and had yet to notice her. So, she raised the key again and started the first summoning chant.

"I call upon thee in the world of the Celestial Spirits! I beckon you to my side at once! Pass through the gate! Open! Gate of the Fox! Vulpecula!"

The second she began to chant, Laxus and Bickslow spun around to face her. A bright red light appeared before Lucy and she smiled. The two onlookers however, let out very undignified cries at the sight of the unfamiliar spirit. Lucy giggled at them. Of course Vulpecula would choose to answer the summons in his largest, most terrifying form.

Stood before them was a massive creature. The spirit stood at least fifteen feet high. His rusty red and white fur glistened in the sun and his sly, yellow eyes almost glowed. He let out a deep growl as he bared his teeth at them. Lucy would have been petrified if she hadn't known this spirit as a small child. She secured her keys, got into a crouching attack stance, and smiled at him wickedly.

"Now, now," she teased. "Is that any way to greet an old friend?" The giant fox narrowed his eyes at her in consideration. "What would mother say, Vulpy?"

Recognition seemed to dawn on him and an evil glint filled his eyes. He appeared to smile with mischief. Vulpecula crouched into an attack stance to match Lucy's and she smirked. The fox's nine glorious tails rippled happily behind him as he prepared to pounce. With a gleam in her eyes, Lucy dashed forward, used the broken fountain as a spring board, and launched herself in the air to try to grab his neck. At the same time, Vulpecula leapt forward, easily catching Lucy with a large paw before throwing her behind him to catch her with his fluffy tails. Shouts of frightful protest could be heard from Laxus and Bickslow as they watched the giant animal spirit toss their precious Celestial mage around like a rag-doll. Neither of them paid the two any attention as they continued their odd, playful reunion. For a few short minutes they played and when Vulpecula launched Lucy in the air again, she laughed as she fell towards the ground. The fox caught her easily around his neck and the two calmed down as he began to shrink and transform.

In no time at all, Lucy was back on the ground with her arms wrapped around a handsome red-headed man, her face buried in his chest. Bickslow's jaw hit the ground and Laxus couldn't keep his expression neutral. They were both shocked, to say the least. The newly transformed man wrapped his arms tightly around Lucy's back and rested his chin on her head. Lucy gave a content sigh and Vulpecula smiled.

"It's good to see you, Lucy," he said in a kind, tenor voice.

She pulled away with a smile. "I've missed you, Vulpy," she said brightly.

Vulpecula chuckled and shook his head. "You're never going to stop calling me that ridiculous nickname, are you?"

"Not a chance," she laughed.

The fox-man shook his head in mirth and a pair of fox ears could be seen just barely poking out of his rust-colored hair. Vulpecula threw his arm around Lucy's shoulders and they started walking to the village, chatting happily away. The Seith and lightning mages exchanged looks before silently following them.

"You caused quite the commotion for this poor town, Vulpy," Lucy jokingly scolded the spirit.

Vulpecula chuckled. "Ah, you know me, Lulu; can't stay still for too long!"

She gave him a pointed look. "That's no excuse! You're pranks aren't always safe, you know."

"Pranks?" Laxus grunted questioningly from behind them.

"Oh!" Lucy said in surprise as she stopped and turned to them. "Sorry, guys. Forgot you were there."

Bickslow chuckled while Vulpecula looked back and forth from Lucy to Laxus. "Who are your friends, Lucy?" he asked carefully.

"Oh, I'm sorry. So rude of me. This is Bickslow and Laxus. They're in the Fairy Tail guild with me."

"You joined a guild? That's great, Lulu!"

Lucy smiled widely before addressing the others. "Bickslow, Laxus, this is Vulpecula, the spirit of the Fox. He's one of the Element keys."

"Hey now," he said lightly. "Don't sell me short there, Lucy. I'm not _just_ one of the Element keys – I'm their leader!"

Lucy snorted. "Only because your element is the first in the cycle."

"Ouch," he pouted with a fake frown. "You really know how to bruise a guy's ego."

She giggled. "Your ego has always been enormous, Vulpy. I'm sure it can take a few hits and still be fine."

"So, what did you mean by 'pranks'?" Laxus interrupted.

Lucy rolled her eyes with a smirk. "Vulpecula is a trickster spirit. One of his favorite things to do is pull pranks." She then turned to scold the spirit again. "Speaking of… your pranks caused a lot of damage to this village! You scared the poor people to death!"

"Aww, but Lucy!" the fox whined at her with a very convincing pout. "You know how bored I get when no one owns my key! I haven't had a key holder since your mother. I was getting restless!"

Lucy's eye twitched at the mention of her mother, which she hoped no one noticed. "Again, that's no excuse! You owe this town an apology. And that's exactly what you're going to do when we get to the mayor's office."

Vulpecula frowned and studied Lucy closely. Clearly he had noticed her tiny flinch. His eyes grew wide in fear and he seized her by the shoulders, looking directly into her eyes. "Tell me it isn't true, Lucy," he demanded in a serious tone.

"What are you-"

"Tell me it's not true!" he nearly shouted. "I can see it in your eyes, Lucy! They're just like hers when she – when it – Lucy, tell me it's not true! Tell me it hasn't-"

"Hey, let her go, man," Laxus practically growled at the spirit. He _did not_ like how he was handling Lucy.

Vulpecula ignored him. "Lulu, tell me it isn't true."

Lucy sighed as a sad tear escaped her. It was obvious that the man knew of her sickness. She'd forgotten how perceptive he was. "I can't, Vulpy. It is true. Can we please discuss this later? It's fine."

"It's not fine! It's-" the fox narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. "Lucy, what did you do?"

Lucy flinched. "I'll tell you everything later. _In private_. For now, we're going to the mayor's office and you're going to say you're sorry." Vulpecula sneered at her. "Please, Vulpy," she pleaded.

The fox seemed to deflate. "Fine," he said with a huff before he grinned wickedly at her. "If I have to apologize, I'm doing it my way."

Before Lucy could object, a puff of red smoke hid Vulpecula from view and when it cleared, an average sized fox with nine tiny tails sat on the ground before her. He blinked up at her with innocent eyes and she laughed.

"You sneaky little fox," she said as she opened her arms for him to jump into. "Fine. Let's go. This is the only time I'm letting you get away with that trick, you know."

The spirit nuzzled her cheek affectionately and Lucy set off for the mayor's office again.

They walked in silence for a few minutes before Bickslow voiced what he had been dying to say. "All right, Cosplayer, I have to ask; what the _hell_ was that about?"

Lucy chuckled. "Nothing to worry about, Bickslow."

"Your spirit seemed worried about whatever it is."

"That's because he's always been melodramatic," she said. Vulpecula gave a low growl from her arms. "Don't you growl at me, Mister. You know it's true. Honestly, there's nothing to worry about right now."

"But there _is_ something to worry about?" Laxus demanded.

"There's something for _me_ to worry about, yes."

"Damn it, Blondie-"

"Drop it, Laxus," Lucy hissed in a tone that left no room for arguments. The lightning man glared at her and shook with rage before teleporting himself back to Magnolia.

"Figures he's leave me behind," Bickslow mumbled.

Lucy giggled. "Don't worry, you can stay with me tonight. Then we'll head back in the morning."

Bickslow sighed roughly. "Thanks, Cosplayer."

"No problem," she said with a smile. "I do have one condition, though."

Bickslow chuckled. "Is it going to be the punishment you promised your maid spirit you'd give me?"

Lucy smirked. "Oh, no. I still haven't decided on your punishment yet, but I will." Bickslow flinched. "No, my condition is that you promise never to follow me on a mission again and try to trust me from now on."

Bickslow stopped walking and gently pulled on Lucy's to get her to stop and face him. "I _do_ trust you, Lucy," he said seriously. She blinked in surprise when he used her actual name. "I was just worried for your safety. You were gone for a year. Everyone missed you. No one knew what happened to you and the whole guild was scared you decided not to come back or worse."

Lucy deflated a little. "I know. I'm sorry. I explained it to everyone when I got back but you guys weren't there. There was an emergency and I had to finish my training in the Celestial World. Time flows differently there and I forgot to send Loke to let you guys know I was okay."

Bickslow heaved an even greater breathe and roughly pulled her into a hug, squishing the spirit. "It's all right, Cosplayer. I forgive you. Just don't scare us like that again."

Lucy laughed. "You know I can't promise that. I _am_ partners with Natsu, after all."

He barked out a laugh and released her. "I guess you're right about that."

"Of course I am," she chirped. "Now, promise me you won't follow me on any more jobs?"

Bickslow rolled his eyes behind his visor. "I swear, I won't."

Lucy smiled and nodded, satisfied, before she began walking again. "Good. I'm glad _someone_ believes in me now."

Bickslow was silent for a moment before he took on a quieter tone. "Of course we believe in you. You're a Fairy Tail wizard. You've always been strong and capable."

"Thanks, Bix," she said with a smile and a slight blush.

He nodded before slowly continuing. He didn't want to piss her off again. "You know, Cosplayer… Laxus believes in you, too." Lucy pursed her lips. "Really, he does! He cares a lot more than he lets on. I think he's just scared you'll up and disappear again and this time you won't come back. Not that he'll ever admit that… Things weren't the same without you around, Lucy."

Lucy gave a slightly sad sigh. "I know he cares, but he's going about showing it in all the wrong ways. I can take care of myself and I don't appreciate him trying to tell me what to do when he's hardly ever spoken to me before now. He shouldn't be so worried anyway – we aren't even on the same team."

Bickslow chose to remain silent. It wasn't his place to say… He knew _exactly_ why Laxus worried about Lucy so much…

* * *

 **A/N: Hey, guys. Just wanted to check in. I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations and I apologize if it didn't. I've got a few interesting chapters coming up soon and I'm trying not to have too many filler chapters because I know they can either help the story or kill it, but I also don't want to get stuck while writing. Anyway, what do you all think of Vulpecula? I was very excited to write about him. It took me a while to look up other constellations and decide on the ones I was going to use, but I'm glad I chose the Fox.**

 **Anywho... I must be going now, lots to write! Hope you all have a lovely evening!**

 **~Andromeda**


	7. Chapter 7: Punishment

Chapter 7

Punishment

The next day, Lucy gathered all of her things before dumping a cold glass of water on Bickslow as he snored away on the tiny couch in Lucy's hotel room.

"What the hell, Cosplayer?" he sputtered.

Lucy snickered. "Wakey, wakey, Sleeping Beauty. It's nearly noon and your snoring was getting on my nerves."

"Noon? Sweet Mavis, why'd you let me sleep so long? And I do _not_ snore."

The blonde woman snorted. "Oh, please. Your snoring could wake the dead, Bix. You're just lucky I'm used to dealing with Natsu and Gray's snoring, otherwise I would've killed you in your sleep. Besides, you looked like you needed your rest."

Bickslow glared at her but grumbled a thank you anyway. "Your damn fox spirit kept me up half the night trying to play with my babies."

Lucy tilted her head in mild confusion. She must have slept like a rock if she hadn't heard any of that. "Your babies? I didn't realize you had them with you. I was wondering where they were, actually."

Bickslow grunted as he stood up to stretch. Lucy cringed at all the cracking she heard from his protesting back. "The babies can't keep quiet to save their lives so I had to deactivate them when we were following you yesterday. I got their totems out when I laid down last night and that stupid fox kept knocking them off the table."

Lucy covered her mouth, trying to hide her giggle. "I'm sorry."

"Are you sure he's really a fox? I swear, he acts more like a damn cat. And yesterday! I thought the mayor was going to declare him the official town mascot! I mean, seriously, how did he get away with everything he did to this town just by _looking_ at the man and rubbing on his legs?"

Lucy let out a peel of laughter. "That's always how Vulpy's been. One look with his innocent, puppy-dog eyes and he could probably get away with murder."

"That sounds familiar," Bickslow said, looking at her pointedly.

She smirked. "I have no idea what you're talking about." Bickslow rolled his eyes and Lucy smiled coyly. "Vulpy was an _excellent_ teacher," she added with a wink.

The Sieth mage chuckled as he gathered his things. A loud rumble then sounded from his stomach. Lucy giggled at him. "Sounds like someone's hungry. Come on, let's go. We'll get lunch at the guild."

"At the guild!" Bickslow exclaimed. "But that's a four hour train ride from here! I could die of starvation by then!"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Oh, you poor baby! Four hours without food! Whatever will you do?" Bickslow looked at her indignantly and she laughed. "It's not going to take us four hours to get there, Bix. We aren't taking the train."

"Then how are we getting there?"

Lucy smiled and held up her purple bag from yesterday. "With the help of a black hole, of course!"

Bickslow smiled broadly, his tongue lolling from his mouth in excitement. "Sounds like fun!" Quickly, he gathered the rest of his things and in no time Lucy was preparing the black hole.

"All right, you have to hold onto me, Bickslow," Lucy said as she stood in front of the tall man. Gently, Bickslow placed his hands on Lucy's shoulders. Impatiently, Lucy spun around to face him, giving him a pointed look. "Really, you know that's not going to work. Here-" she said as she seized his wrists and pulled them tightly around her body. He now appeared to be holding her rather romantically. When he realized this he stiffened up and gulped. He'd be a dead man if the Boss ever saw this out of context. Lucy rolled her eyes and turned herself around in his arms so her back was against his chest. "Sweet Mavis, Bix. Relax, I'm not going to bite."

Bickslow snorted but relaxed a little.

"You ready?"

"I'm ready, Cosplayer," he said with excitement in his voice.

Lucy smirked wickedly to herself. "Okay, hold tight!" she said as she led his forward to fall away into the nothingness of the black hole.

As Lucy expected, Bickslow couldn't hold back a terrified scream as they fell through the abyss. He now clung sharply to her waist, all previous aversion to touching her forgotten. The second their feet hit solid ground again, Bickslow collapsed to the floor of the guild, now wrapped around Lucy's legs, completely terrified.

Lucy took one look at the shaking mage and bust out laughing. Their arrival in the corner of the guild had already captured everyone's attention so, when the Celestial wizard doubled over, clutching her stomach in violent laughter, everyone seemed to exchange questioning looks and raised eyebrows. Cautiously, Evergreen and Freed made their way to them, followed by a brooding Laxus.

"Bickslow," Evergreen said gently as she crouched next to the pale and visorless man. "Are you all right?"

The blue and black haired man looked up at teammate with petrified eyes. Not daring to believe he was safely on solid ground again, Bickslow wrapped himself more firmly around Lucy's legs as he trembled. Lucy snickered as she reached down to gently run a hand through the man's hair to calm him. She tried to keep the laughter from her voice but failed. "Aww, some on, Bix. It wasn't _that_ bad."

Said man looked up at her incredulously as Gray, Erza, and Natsu came to see what all the fuss was about. "What have you don't to Bickslow, Lucy?" Erza asked curiously.

"I haven't done anything to him," Lucy said while trying to hide her guilty smile.

Gray was the first one to realize what had put Bickslow in such a state. He chuckled deeply and shook his head in sympathy. "That's cruel, Lucy. You didn't tell him what it's like to travel through a black hole, did you?"

Natsu paled where he stood and look as if he might be sick. "That's not fair, Luce! Stupid black hole is worse than a train!"

Lucy laughed as she continued to stroke Bickslow's hair. "I really don't think it's that bad."

"Only because you're used to it," Gray offered. "For the rest of us, it's awful traveling like that for the first time."

She giggled. "You passed out your first time, didn't you, Gray?"

This seemed to jar Bickslow from his near catatonic state. He released her legs and looked up at her with an expression of utter betrayal. " _You knew this would happen?_ "

Lucy chuckled lightheartedly. "I knew it _could_ affect you in some way. I had no way of knowing _how_ it would, though."

Lucy smirked and Bickslow yelped as he scrambled away from her to hide behind a shocked Freed. "That's not right and you know it, Cosplayer!" he complained.

"Well, maybe next time you'll think twice before following me on a solo mission, then." Bickslow's mouth fell open and she looked at him smugly. "You can consider this your punishment."

"That's a dirty, rotten trick, Cosplayer!"

Lucy folded her arms across her chest and looked at him, mildly amused. "You deserved it and you know it."

Bickslow looked affronted. "I thought we bonded yesterday, Lucy!"

Lucy laughed loudly. "We did, Bix. But that doesn't mean you get out of punishment. If you want, I'll gladly add on to it and bring Vulpecula out to terrorize your babies."

Bickslow's eyes grew wide in horror. "Evil woman! You keep that damned fox away from my babies!" Lucy laughed again as Bickslow dashed away from her and toward Mira at the bar.

"That's what I thought," she muttered with a smile.

Slowly, the guild went back to normal, everyone laughing at Bickslow's expense. After that, it didn't take Lucy long to get lost in the guild's atmosphere. Sipping on her usual strawberry smoothie, Lucy happily glanced around at her chaotic, loving family. She was glad to be home, even if it didn't last as long as she wanted it to.

Lucy chanced a glance at Laxus as he sat listening to his sound pods at a table with his team across the guild. He wasn't looking at her but she could tell he was still angry with her. She sighed and turned back to her conversation with Levy. She didn't like Laxus being upset with her but, honestly, she wasn't sure she could handle him knowing the truth about her illness. She's already let him down once when she left the guild to train. She didn't want to let him down again with the knowledge of her looming death. It wasn't right and it wasn't fair, but Laxus would just have to remain mad at her because there was no way she was going to tell him the truth. Not yet, anyway.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry this one isn't very long my lovelies. I hope you enjoy it anyway and I promise I'll have the next one up soon. This was more of a filler chapter so I could build to my next few major scenes. Anyway, after the holiday this week, I'll be sure to post at least two more chapters to make up for how short this one is. Hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving!**

 **~Andromeda**


	8. Chapter 8: The Grand Magic Games

Chapter 8

The Grand Magic Games

A month passed and the annual Grand Magic games were approaching rapidly. Everyone seemed excited to take part in the Games again and Lucy was no exception. Although, it proved difficult to convince Freed that she was perfectly healthy enough to participate.

"It's really not good for your health, Lucy."

"Freed," she sighed for the hundredth time. "Look at it this way; this time next year, I'll only have about two months left before the lacrima starts to fail. Unless we can find a cure before then, I won't be in any condition to play in the Games next year. But right now, I'm perfectly fine and capable of it. If I don't get to do it this year, I might never get the chance to do it again, Freed."

Freed folded his arms in defiance but he eventually relented. It was getting harder for him to deny her. So, a few days later when the Master announced who would be representing Fairy Tail in the Grand Magic Games, Freed was secretly pleased that Master Makarov had heeded his request to place Lucy and himself on the same team. He had to keep an eye on her somehow.

"All right, listen up, brats! I've mixed up the teams a little bit this year. So many of you wanted to participate this time, I had to make some tough choices. So no complaining!" Makarov shouted from where he stood on the bar. "Fairy Tail Team A will be Erza, Natsu, Gajeel, Levy, and Bickslow. Juvia and Max will be your alternates. Fairy Tail Team B will be Freed, Lucy, Laxus, Gray, and Wendy. Your alternates are Gildarts and Laki."

No one dared argue with the Master who looked like he might explode on the first person to object to his decision. Though it was quite clear that Natsu was not happy that he and Lucy were on opposite teams.

* * *

A week later, all of Fairy Tail left for the capital. Crocus was crawling with people from all over Fiore. All were excited to see what kinds of events the magic guilds would be competing in this year. Those playing were instructed to get a good night's rest and be prepared for the elimination round that would begin at dawn.

At three in the morning, Lucy was woken from her sleep by a games official and taken to an obscure part of the city. It seemed that this year's elimination game would require each team to find and 'rescue' their missing teammate. So, Lucy settled herself down to wait in her little glass cube hidden in an alley near the capitol's public library.

When six o'clock rolled around, the game had begun and lacrima screens popped up all over the city so people could watch. Lucy sighed and readjusted herself in the middle of the cube. She really hoped it wouldn't take her team long to locate her. She did have two dragon slayers on her team after all.

 _Laxus_

 _Why did it have to be Blondie?_ Laxus fumed to himself as he and his team ran through the city following Lucy's fading scent. This elimination game was a game of speed and intelligence. The first eight teams to find and release their teammate from their prison would move on to compete in the rest of the games. It was easy to follow Lucy's scent to her hidden location. They could only hope that it would be this easy to free her, as well.

 _Lucy_

Like she had hoped, it didn't take her team long to fine her. Unfortunately to hard part was yet to come. Her eyes lit up when she spotted Gray and Wendy rounding the corner. She stood to greet them with a smile on her face. "Well, that didn't take you guys long. The game only started twenty minutes ago."

Gray chuckled. "Wendy was pretty determined to sniff you out."

Lucy smiled at the young girl's blush. "I'm glad you guys found me so soon. Now we just have to figure out how to get me out of this cube."

Freed walked around the glass box, carefully observing every inch of it. A faint shimmer in the middle of one of the walls caught his attention and he smiled. Runes. His specialty.

"I noticed those earlier," Lucy said as she followed Freed's line of sight. "Couldn't quite translate a few of the words, though. Can you figure it out?"

Freed nodded thoughtfully before ushering Gray over. "Gray, can you use your ice on the glass so I can read the runes easier?" Gray nodded and gently placed his palm on the glass, a thin sheet of ice moving from his fingers and spreading out to illuminate the nearly invisible runes. There was silence as Freed tapped his chin with his index finger. "Hmm… well… it says that ' _in a group, only the strongest bond can shatter this glass'._ "

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Laxus drawled.

"I'm not sure," Freed admitted.

However, Lucy's face brightened and she jumped up and down happily. "Oh, this is perfect!" she chirped.

"What is it, Lucy?" Wendy asked.

She smiled at them all. "Don't you get it?" They all shook their heads and Lucy sighed in exasperation. "Think about it, guys! What is the strongest kind of bond?" When none of them answered she continued with renewed vigor. "It's love, guys! The strongest kind of bond is a bond of love!"

"How does that help us?" Wendy inquired.

Lucy just smiled. "You'll see," she said with a wink. "Come here, Gray."

Gray looked bewildered while Wendy's and Freed's eyes grew large as saucers. Laxus narrowed his eyes.

"Don't tell me you're in love with the stripper, Blondie," Laxus said with a touch of irritation. His words may have sounded like a jab at the idea of them as a couple, but they were really a plea for them not to be true.

Gray's eyes widened and he blushed crimson, clearly not expecting that. However, Lucy rolled her eyes and laughed. "No, definitely not," she stated. The tightening in Laxus' chest seemed to lessen immensely at her words. _Thank Mavis._ "But that doesn't matter – come here, Gray. You, too, Wendy."

Laxus and Freed exchanged confused looks as the other two moved closer to the glass that separated them from Lucy.

"How can we help?" Wendy inquired, still slightly confused.

Lucy smiled warmly down at the young dragon slayer. "Well, the runes said only the bond of a group could break the glass," Lucy explained. "So, that means I need you and Gray. Only you two can get me out of here."

"Why only us?" Gray questioned.

Lucy grinned widely at him. "Because, I love you!" she declared. Gray raised a brow at her but quickly caught on to what Lucy was trying to make them all see.

"Ah, I get it," he said with a lazy smile as he placed a hand on the glass. Lucy placed one of her hands directly over his on the opposite side. "I love you, too, Lucy."

Laxus had to stifle a growl.

Lucy kept her hand in place as she turned to Wendy. "And I also love you, Wendy." Lucy put her other hand on the glass in anticipation of the girl's response.

Wendy's eyes lit up with understanding as she placed on of her hands on the glass where Lucy's was and reached out to take Gray's free hand in hers. "I love you guys so much!" she affirmed.

Instantly, their connected hands began to glow and all three of them smiled as the glass that trapped Lucy exploded into nothingness. The trio embraced one another for a long moment before Freed cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Very impressive, Lucy" he said with a smile and a respectful nod.

She beamed at him. "Thanks, Freed. I'm glad it worked. The runes never specified what _kind_ of love it had to be. Just that is had to be the strongest bond and we love each other like family. I consider them my siblings!"

A few hours later and Fairy Tail Team B found themselves waving to the crowd from the center of the arena with the other qualifying teams.

"Welcome one and all to the Grand Magic Games!" shouted the pumpkin-costumed announcer. "Let me introduce out eight qualifying teams! In eighth place we have the lovely ladies of Mermaid Heel with a final rescue time of one hour and thirty-seven minutes! Seventh place, we have Orochi's Fin with a rescue time of one hour and nineteen minutes. Sixth place is Phoenix Grave with a time of one hour and twelve minutes. Fifth place is Lamia Scale taking fifty-nine minutes! In fourth place is Fairy Tail Team A with a rescue time of forty-two minutes! Third is Blue Pegasus at forty minutes! Second place goes to Sabertooth with thirty-one minutes! And finally, first place is Fairy Tail Team B at only twenty-seven minutes!"

The sound from the crowd was deafening. Everyone was thrilled that Fairy Tail managed to have both of their teams pass the qualifying round. Again.

"Okay! Now that we have all of our players – let the games begin! Our first points game is called Opposites! Each team will choose two of their members to participate."

Each team seemed to take a few moments to consider what kind of game it could be based on its title. Lucy's team quickly decided that it would be Lucy and Freed who would take up this challenge as their magics were complete contraries.

The game turned out to be much more difficult than anyone had anticipated. The objective was to escape a locked chamber as fast as possible using only the clues hidden in said room. It took a little while for everyone to realize that all the clues were leading you to the opposite of your goal. Unsurprisingly, Lucy and Freed finished second, only a few minutes behind Blue Pegasus.

* * *

For Lucy, the rest of the day's events went by quickly and without incident. It wasn't until the following night that she began to feel uneasy about something. Both Fairy Tail teams were enjoying drinks in a local bar with some friends from other guilds when a chill ran down Lucy's spine and she froze. Lucy turned to look around the room and instantly spotted the cause of her sudden chill. In a darkened corner sat a lonely figure.

They entire room seemed to pick up on the tense atmosphere and all eyes moved Lucy to the dark figure as silence fell. Not knowing what to do, Lucy kept silent, trying to a better look at the person glaring at her so intently.

"Hey!" Natsu said loudly, finally breaking the silence and moving to stand next to Lucy with his arms crossed. "Who are you and what do you want?"

Quietly, the mysterious person stood up and stepped into the light. It was a woman. A beautiful woman. She was tall and slender with deep purple hair and piercing, ocean-blue eyes. She had creamy skin and sharp, elegant facial features. Slowly, she approached Lucy. Her movements were so graceful she appeared to be gliding. She stopped when she was a few feet from Lucy and another chill went down Lucy's spine. Loke must have sensed the threat because he opened his own gate to appear on Lucy's other side.

"Lucy Heartfilia," said the woman in a voice as smooth as honey. There was a bit of an accent that Lucy couldn't quite place.

"Yes?" she answered cautiously. This woman really made her feel uneasy. "And who are you?"

The woman smirked evilly. "My name is Violet."

Lucy frowned. "It's nice to meet you, Violet. Can I help you with something?"

Violet's gaze darkened. "It would bring me immense joy if you would just die already."

Lucy's eyes widened in shock and nearly everyone gasped at her words. Instantly, Lucy found herself surrounded by her friends and guildmates. Everyone go to their feet to defend her.

"It is not wise of you to threaten a member of Fairy Tail like that, young Miss," said Master Makarov.

Everyone nodded their agreement. Laxus stepped forward, lightning sparking off of him in menacing arcs. "You better leave right now," he growled.

Violet sneered at him. "I don't see why I should," she shot back at him. "I only came to speak with the wretch, after all."

Laxus growled at her again as his lightning increased. "Not gonna happen."

Violet raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him. "Tell me, Lucy Heartfilia, if your boyfriend always this pleasant?"

Laxus was about to retort when Lucy placed one of her tiny hands on his massive forearm. The aggravated dragon slayer looked down at the much smaller blonde and his heart skipped a beat. In that moment, Lucy looked breathtaking as she stared at Violet with a fierce determination. A tingling sensation that had nothing to do with his lightning ran up his arm. Lucy stepped in front of Laxus and on instinct he grabbed her shoulders to prevent her from getting to close to Violet.

"Why, exactly, do you want me dead, Violet?" she asked calmly.

Violet glowered at her again. "You're the reason my father is in prison."

Lucy furrowed her brow. "I'm sorry, but who is your father?"

"Alastair."

Lucy's eyes widened and she instantly locked eyes with Loke. Gently, she removed Laxus' hands from her shoulders and carefully took a step toward the woman with her faithful lion by her side.

"Alastair's in prison?" Loke questioned.

"Why?" added Lucy.

" _Why_?" spat Violet. "He's in prison thanks to _you_! That _little gift_ he gave you turned out to be stolen."

Lucy's breath caught as she and Loke exchanged looks again. "We had no idea it was stolen, Violet," she said. "I swear, if I'd known, I'd never have agreed to-"

Violet snorted in disbelief. "Please, you knew _exactly_ what my father was risking for you!"

Lucy was quiet for a moment before narrowing her eyes at Violet. "I swear on my life, I had no idea it was stolen, Violet. Your father – Alastair – he saved my life! I owe him everything. I don't want him locked up!"

" _On your life_!" Violet hissed. "That's rich, coming from you! My father is facing life in prison if not the death penalty because of what he did for you!" Violet stepped closer to Lucy but came up short when Loke's hands glowed forebodingly with his magic. "You will pay for what you've done to my family, Lucy Heartfilia! Tomorrow is that last day of the Grand Magic Games. It's going to be one hell of a show. Don't get hurt out there before I get my revenge."

"You're participating in the Games?" Erza asked.

Violet smirked and turned to leave. On the back of her neck, the Phoenix Grave guild mark could be seen. "I'll see you tomorrow, _Lucy_."

The door to the bar slammed shut behind her and silence hung in the air briefly before everyone burst out with questions.

"What was that all about, Lucy?" Gray asked, a little on edge.

"What the hell was she talking about, Luce?" Natsu demanded.

Lucy couldn't look at anyone but Loke. How could it be that the lacrima in her chest – the only thing keeping her alive – was stolen? "Did you have any idea that he stole it?" Lucy asked the lion spirit in a whisper. She couldn't hear anyone's inquiries.

Loke shook his head and frowned. "No. Alastair didn't strike me as a thief. Besides, he was the best in his field. He had plenty of money and connection. He wouldn't have had to steal it."

"Steal _what_?" Erza said firmly.

"What's going on, Blondie?"

"Are you in some kind of trouble, Cosplayer?"

Again, Lucy ignored them. "Something isn't right with this, Loke. Why would he have been given a life sentence of the death penalty for stealing on anyway? Even if he did do it, they're common items in Bosco and they aren't illegal there. If it really was stolen, it should have only earned him a slap on the wrist at the most."

"I agree," Loke said. "Will you be all right without me for a few days? I'm going to Bosco to check things out."

Lucy nodded but Laxus interrupted angrily. "You're not going anywhere, Lover Boy," he hissed through clenched teeth. "That woman just threatened your key-holder's life! You're not going to leave her alone now!"

Lucy looked at Laxus in amazement. In all honesty, she'd forgotten everyone was still standing there wanting answers.

"Laxus has a point, child," Master Makarov said gently.

Lucy thought for a moment before sighing. "He's right, Loke. Tomorrow is that last day of the Games and I may need you. As soon as the Games are over we'll investigate everything with Alistair."

Loke huffed. "As you wish, Princess."

Lucy nodded as she turned to everyone else. "It's getting late, guys. I think we could all use some sleep."

"Oh, no you don't!" Laxus hissed. "You're going to tell us what's going on. Right now!"

Lucy heaved a gigantic sigh and rubbed her temples. "I can't. I don't know enough to tell you anything. I'm sorry guys, but this is a personal matter as of right now."

"Fuck your excuses, Blondie! We deserve answers, especially after that woman just said she wanted you dead! Everyone just defended you and you're not even going to tell us what's going on?"

Mild frustration surfaced in Lucy's face. "I'm not required to tell you every little detail of my life, Laxus! Can't you just trust me?"

"Maybe I would trust you if you weren't keeping secrets from the entire guild!" he roared.

Lucy froze and her face fell. Laxus didn't trust her? It hurt more than she expected it to and she didn't understand why. Does the rest of the guild feel that way? Do any of her friends trust her? Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes at the anger in Laxus' expression. Lucy looked down in shame and quickly turned away from everyone. "I'm sorry," she mumbled before fleeing from the bar as her tears fell.

Laxus froze at the sight of her tears and the sound of her broken voice. He couldn't stand seeing Lucy hurt like that. He hadn't meant to hurt her. He was just frustrated and tired of her always avoiding answering the questions. He just wanted answers.

"Way to go, asshole," Loke hissed at him. Laxus flinched. "Come on Freed, she's going to need you tonight." Freed nodded and silently emerged from the crowd and followed Loke out of the door to follow Lucy.

 **A/N: Hey guys, sorry to be updating so late in the week. I wasn't expecting the small bout of Writer's Block I caught. But, I think I'm all better now and I'll be able to have the next chapter up soon! Hope you all enjoyed this one and have a lovely Saturday!**

 **~Andromeda**


	9. Chapter 9: Lucy VS Violet

Chapter 9

Lucy VS. Violet

Lucy hardly slept a wink that night. Her mind was far too filled with thoughts of Violet and her threat. Not to mention she was trying her hardest to forget how hurt she was from Laxus' words. She'd spent hours talking with Freed and Loke about Violet and Alastair and she felt completely drained by the time she crawled into bed.

Lucy got up to prepare for the last day of the Grand Magic Games and she was just about to exit her hotel room when a panicked Gray barged in.

"Lucy!"

The Celestial mage jumped a mile at the sudden intrusion. "What? What is it, Gray?"

The ice wizard grabbed her hand a yanked her out of the room and down the hall. "It's Wendy!" he said. "She's been hurt pretty bad. Someone attacked her last night when she left to go find you."

"WHAT?" Lucy exclaimed as she began to run alongside Gray, still clutching his hand. "Is she okay?"

Gray shook his head. "I don't know," was his strained response. "She's in pretty bad shape. Porlyusica said it was lucky Natsu found her when he did. She's still out cold."

Lucy worried her lip as they got closer to the infirmary set up for their team. All other thoughts were driven from her mind when they rounded the corner and her eyes first landed on Wendy.

"Wendy!" she cried as she rushed to the young girl's Fairy Tail teams, various other members, and Master Makarov were gathered around the bed that contained her. Natsu looked up when Gray and Lucy entered the room. On instinct, Lucy and Natsu met next to Wendy's bed and hugged tightly, both seeking the comfort of the other. Gray and Erza also gravitated toward Lucy and the group embraced as one, praying that their fallen comrade would be all right. Tears fell from all of their eyes as they clung to each other and gazed at the unconscious dragon slayer.

"Will she be okay?" Lucy asked hoarsely, looking desperately at Porlyusica.

The people-hater pursed her lips. "She should be fine in a few hours. It may take her a couple of days to recover all of her magic energy, though."

Everyone exchanged mildly relieved looks when Wendy began to mutter in her sleep. "No…no, don't… you can't… you can't have… I won't let you hurt… Lucy!" she said, her eyes screwed shut in a grimace.

Lucy paled and her eyes widened. What was Wendy saying? Was she attacked because she's close to Lucy? Was this all her fault?

 _Laxus_

Laxus stood there looking at the tiny girl in bed with his brow furrowed in worry and his arms crossed. Who would attack sweet, innocent, little Wendy? Laxus had purposefully been avoiding looking at Lucy. He felt bad enough for making her cry last night and he knew he couldn't stand to look at her now while she cried over Fairy Tail's favorite little healer.

When Wendy began to speak in her sleep, Laxus visibly relaxed a little. But when she uttered Lucy's name, his blood ran cold. What had the young girl meant? Was Lucy in even more danger now? Was someone else after her? Laxus' eyes snapped to Lucy when everyone began to mutter to each other. It seemed that everyone was debating whether or not Lucy should be allowed to compete in today's events, seeing as it appeared that she was being targeted. Laxus didn't get the chance to voice his opinion when his grandfather spoke above the noise.

"Quiet, brats!" he shouted. Once all was silent again, he turned to Lucy. "Lucy, dear, I'll leave the decision up to you. Do you want to participate in the Games today?"

Lucy was silent for a moment as she looked at Wendy. Determination filled her expression. "Yes," she said firmly.

Laxus finally found his voice. "No," he said in protest. "It's not safe for her, Gramps. She can't go out there today – not after this!"

Makarov was about to reply when Lucy cut in. "You know, Laxus," she said in a calm, quiet tone. "Most people would have learned by now – _you do not control me._ I _will_ compete today."

"Blondie-"

Lucy held up a hand. "I understand that you don't trust me and you think that I'm weak and can't take care of myself-"

Laxus' jaw dropped. He didn't think that at all! "That's not it-" he sputtered.

"-but this isn't your decision. It's mine. Let's go," she continued. "The game will be starting soon."

Everyone was silent as Lucy exited the room. Freed's sigh caught Laxus' attention as he made to follow Lucy. With a huff, Laxus followed his green-haired friend, as did the others. They walked in silence before Freed addressed Laxus. "You know," he said coldly. Surprised, Laxus looked down at Freed and was startled to see the man actually glaring at him. "Treating Lucy like a porcelain doll will get you nowhere with her. She's quite capable on her own and you don't need to be destroying her confidence like that, Laxus."

Stunned, it took Laxus a moment to respond. Freed had never spoken to him like that before. "I… you… you know that's not my intention, Freed. I'm just…" he sighed. "I'm worried about her."

Freed nodded and pursed his lips. "I am aware of that, Laxus. I know you care deeply for her but you aren't showing it properly."

"Freed's right, Boss," Bickslow added as he fell into step with the two men.

Laxus growled in frustration. "I just want her to be safe! I'm trying to protect-"

"Lucy doesn't need anyone's protection," Evergreen said from behind them. "She needs our support."

Laxus grit his teeth but remained silent. He knew they were right, but a part of him just couldn't let go of the instinctive need to shelter her. Lucy knew how to drive him crazy yet one look from her could bring him to his knees. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to her and he couldn't bare it if she left again, especially if he was the cause of it.

 _Lucy_

Lucy stood stiffly as she watched the day's opening game. She wasn't worried in the least bit for her teammate as he competed. Gildarts had taken Wendy's place as their alternate. Today's main event was a test of strength and endurance. Lucy knew Gildarts, Fairy Tail's strongest S-class wizard, would be fine.

Finally, it was time for the final set of one-on-one battles of this year's Grand Magic Games. That's when Lucy's nerves picked up. She was itching to be picked for a fight. After Wendy's attack, Lucy was dying to let off some steam.

"Our last battle of the day is Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail Team B and Violet Nightshade of Phoenix Grave!" shouted the pumpkin man.

Lucy eyes narrowed in satisfaction as her teammates exchanged worried looks. This did not bode well.

With a deep breath, Lucy made her way to the arena as her team whispered at her to be careful. Once she was face-to-face with Violet in the center of the arena, she noticed the woman's smirk.

"All right ladies," said the announcer. "You have thirty minutes to duke it out! Last one standing, wins!"

The instant the match started, Lucy summoned Loke. The lion appeared in a flash of golden light and took up a defensive stance.

With a malicious laugh, Violet addressed Lucy as they began to circle each other like animals of prey. "Hiding behind your spirits already, Lucy?"

Lucy glared at her but said nothing.

"Oh? Nothing to say today, I see. Well, that's a shame. I was hoping to have a nice little chat before I destroyed you. Tell me, how is the little dragon slayer doing?"

Lucy's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before they narrowed and she let out a growl. "I knew it! You're the one who attacked Wendy!"

Violet smirked. "Oh, someone's angry. I must have hit a nerve."

Lucy launched into an attack with her whip while Loke aimed a Regulus blast at her. Violet deflected the attacks easily with a wave of her hand as she laughed. "Oh, Lucy. Your attacks are no good against me. I've spent the last six months memorizing every one of your spells. I even know all about your spirits." Violet threw a ball of dark magic at Lucy that she was barely able to dodge. Loke launched another attack but it was almost pointless as Violet deflected it again. "Your magic is useless against me!"

The fight went on for nearly ten minutes before Lucy was flung across the arena, landing on her back near her team.

"Lucy!" she heard Gray yell in concern.

"Be careful, Lucy!" Freed shouted. "She's using Darkness Magic. It's much like my own. You must take caution, it's very dangerous!"

Lucy laid there for a moment to catch her breath. Loke rushed to her side and shielded her while she regained her footing. "Are you okay?" he asked as Violet slowly approached them with her hands covered in darkness, just waiting to attack again.

"I'm fine."

Loke nodded. "Good. I think I've figured out how you can win this match."

Lucy got to her feet and spit out some blood. Apparently she'd bit her cheek when she landed. "Well, go on then," she told him. "Don't hold out on me now."

Loke spoke quickly as Violet was closing in. "She said she's been memorizing all of your spells and spirits. You spent six months in the Spirit World, learning advanced Celestial Magic. Violet knows nothing about that! You've hardly used it since you've been back at the guild. Plus, you have a few new spirits now."

Lucy smirked. "I was thinking the exact same thing, Loke." Quickly Lucy got into a spell casting stance. She exchanged looks with her lion spirit before she let her magic build. "You can go now. I'll be fine."

"I'll see you soon, Princess," he said with a smile as he glittered away.

Violet raised an eyebrow. "Sending your spirit away to cast a spell? Are you _that_ desperate, Lucy? You know you don't stand a chance without one of your spirits to hide behind."

Lucy smiled at her in a knowing way. "No, I'm not desperate," she retorted as her magic energy grew even more. "But I'm definitely not playing around with you anymore." In one swift motion, Lucy dodged Violet's attack and released her magic. "Celestial Elixir: Lunation!" she cried. The entire arena was bathed in a blinding white light and gasps were heard all over. Many people had to close their eyes to shield themselves. When the light began to fade, everyone looked at Lucy to see her standing there with a smile still in place, not a single injury was present.

Violet scoffed at her. "A healing spell?"

"Not quite," Lucy said as she made to remove her favorite jacket. "It helps speed up the healing process but, it can't fix everything." The entire stadium gasped as Lucy's back was exposed, revealing the cursed whip marks she had gotten over a year ago. They still looked fresh.

Violet huffed at her in annoyance. "Whatever! It won't help you defeat me!" The purple-haired woman gathered a large ball of darkness in her hands and threw it at Lucy with great force.

With surprising strength, Lucy launched herself into the air and placed her hand on one of her keys. "I've learned a few new tricks, Violet. Let's see if you can keep up! Star Dress! Taurus Form!"

In a flash, Lucy's outfit changed and she swung a large axe down to shatter the dark magic sphere that had been aimed at her. The ball exploded as Lucy landed on her feet and flung the axe to rest on her shoulder.

The crowd gasped as one and, for a moment, Violet looked stunned. She took a step back as Lucy got into a defensive stance. "What the hell is this?" Violet spat.

Lucy smirked. "I told you, I learned a few new things. This is just one of them. Want to see another?" she taunted rather cockily.

Violet scowled at her and raced forward to meet her with magic covered fists. Lucy smirked again and launched herself into the air, flipping over Violet's head and slamming her axe into the ground with such force, it shook the earth beneath their feet. While Violet was distracted with the minor earthquake, Lucy quickly touched another one of her keys and changed star dresses. "Star Dress! Scorpio Form!"

Another flash and Lucy stood before Violet in a deadly assassin-like stance with the clothes to match. Frankly, this was probably Lucy's favorite star dress form. The sleek, form-fitting, one-piece outfit with its carefully placed armor and headband made her feel strong and powerful. Lucy knew she looked deadly in this form and she couldn't help but be a little proud.

"Sand Blaster!" she shouted as she crossed her arms in front of her, took a deep, kneeling step, and sharply flung her arms out to her sides. Violet was flung backwards a few yards from the sand attack and it took her a few moments to regain her footing. In that time, Lucy spun into another attack. This time, Violet managed to dodge.

The two women fought with everything they had and they appeared to be evenly matched. Violet cast a spell that flung Lucy into the wall of the stadium. The blonde let out a cry of pain as she felt one of her ribs rack. Somewhere in the distance she heard a worried voice shout her name. Who was it? It sounded like sweet, little Asuka. Her voice seemed to give Lucy strength. It reminded her of Wendy and she absolutely _had_ to fight for Wendy. Lucy stumbled forward clutching her left side. Violet was preparing another attack when Lucy changed forms again.

"Star Dress! Cancer Form!"

Again, Lucy's appearance changed and she threw herself toward Violet, twin swords held menacingly in her hands. She let out a battle cry as Violet met her swords, blow for blow with her own weapons forged from dark matter. Step for step, strike for strike, Lucy and Violet battled intensely. The only sound that could be heard was the musical melody of metal on metal as their weapons danced together in a deadly tango. Their feet moved almost without thought, as if they'd danced this battle and practiced the steps a million times.

The crowd let out gasps and sounds of awe as Lucy changed tactics once more. "Star Dress! Virgo Form!" Now, Lucy stood in a maid's outfit with her Fleuve d'etoiles in her hand. Using Virgo's power, Lucy dug a hole to pop up behind Violet. Unfortunately, Violet was prepared for her this time and managed to strike as Lucy popped up from the newly formed hole.

In one swift movement, Violet hit Lucy with a powerful blast that sent her flying. Before she could land, however, Violet seized the Celestial whip and she flicked it, effectively wrapping it around Lucy's neck. With a wicked grin, Violet yanked on the whip hard, bringing Lucy to her knees.

"Not so tough now, are you, Lucy Heartfilia?" she spat with venom as she tightened her grip. Lucy's fingers dug at the thick coils wrapped around her throat. She made strangled noises as she fought for air. All she could do was listen to Violet's taunts and try not to pass out from lack of oxygen. "You are so weak. I'll never understand why my father risked everything to save your life." Violet wrenched the whip up and over her head, dragging Lucy's entire body with it. With a sickening crunch, Lucy landed in a heap on the ground. "Why would he do that for you?" she shouted as she yanked the whip again. Another terrible crunch was heard. "You aren't worth losing it all!" The third time Violet flung Lucy into the ground, Lucy stopped moving and laid there, still struggling to breathe. "This is pathetic. Your precious little friend put up more of a fight than this!"

Violet went to yank the whip a fourth time but was stopped when Lucy grabbed hold of it and ripped it out of Violet's grasp. The mention of Wendy was enough for Lucy to gather her remaining strength. She was running on sheer determination now – her magic power was almost out.

Lucy stumbled to her feet as Violet lost her balance, sputtering for air as she ripped the weapon off her throat. As she stood on shaking legs and her vision wavered, Lucy took shallow breaths and let out a war-like cry. Gathering as much magical energy as she could, Lucy changed into her last resort.

"Star Armor! Celestial Spirit King!" she declared. With a tremulous sound and a remarkable light, Lucy was bathed in Celestial magic as elegant yet intimidating armor encased her body. She looked like she was leading an army into battle. In her left hand she clutched an impressive staff and when she looked up again, her eyes glowed a bright yellow.

Violet's eyes grew wide at the sight of this terrifying Lucy. Before she could scramble out of the way, Lucy raised her staff and cast the most powerful spell most had ever seen.

"With all the force of the Universe, I cast my judgment!" she said in a powerful voice. "My righteousness shall rain down from the Heavens and bring justice! Shower of the Stars: Meteor Shower!"

Lucy's free arm extended outward, palm up, while her other held the staff aloft as a torrent of flaming balls of gas and rock came cascading down on Violet. Lucy's eyes continued to glow as her spell drew to its conclusion. Violet let out a terrified scream as the meteors pummeled her. Soon, she fell to the ground, unconscious, and Lucy lifted the spell to the shouts and cheers of the crowd.

"With only one minute remaining, our winner is: Lucy Heartfilia!" cried the announcer. The crowd went even crazier.

Slowly, Lucy changed back into her normal clothes as her magic energy drained. She coughed and sputtered as blood fell from her lips and all her injuries caught up with her. Lucy faintly heard her team call out to her as they rushed to her side but she couldn't see them. Her vision was starting to dot white. "Loke…" she whispered as she fell to her knees. The loyal lion returned from the Spirit World and caught Lucy in his arms before she could ht the ground. He cradled her close to his chest as her vision got blurrier. All of Fairy Tail surrounded them with looks of panic on their faces.

Loke looked down at her with tears forming. Lucy was in a dreadful state. Blood poured from open wounds and it was clear that she'd broken several bones. Bruises were already forming and it looked like she might have a permanent scar around her neck.

"Lucy," Loke scolded gently, not really meaning it. "You promised you wouldn't use that armor."

A laugh that turned into a coughing fit escaped the woman. More blood dripped from her lips. "I know," she croaked inaudibly. "I'm sorry, Loke, but I had no choice. She was going for the kill."

Loke sighed and nuzzled her cheek. "I know," he said lovingly as he pressed a kiss to her temple. "Get some rest, Princess. I'll send for Gemini to heal you."

"Thank you," Lucy mumbled, finally passing out as if she had only been waiting for his permission.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone! So, here's chapter 9! I was up until nearly 2 this morning writing it so I hope you appreciate it. It's been a long time since I've been so inspired. I'll admit I'm a little proud of it. Now, before you say anything, I know, I know... Spirit Kind star dress makes no sense. But ya know what, I don't care. For the purposes of this story, it makes perfect sense. I was nervous to write a fight scene because I'm not very used to them. I feel like it turned out all right and I hope you like it. Anyway, I'll be leaving now to start on chapter 10!**

 **~Andromeda**


	10. Chapter 10: Never Again

Chapter 10

Never Again

It was nearing midnight and Laxus was tired, but he refused to fall asleep. It was dark in the infirmary, with only a few candles lit. Lucy lay on her bed, still fast asleep. Even after her spirit Gemini had transformed into Wendy and healed her, Lucy still remained out cold. Gemini assured all of them that Lucy would be fine and that she just needed rest. Apparently, her Spirit King Armor could be extremely draining.

Everyone else had left hours ago, relieved that Lucy and Wendy were both going to be okay. Laxus was the only one left sitting by the blonde's side now and he honestly preferred it this way. He needed quiet and solidarity to sort out his thoughts and chaotic emotions. At nearly two in the morning, sudden movement caught his attention and his eyes snapped onto Lucy. Her eyes were screwed up in pain and her hand had curled into a fist, desperately clutching the blanket. She whimpered in her sleep but relaxed after a few short moments.

Laxus let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and slumped forward with his head in his hands. After a moment, he moved his chair closer to her bed and gingerly took her slender hand in both of his. Carefully, he lifter her hand and softly brushed his lips across her knuckles. Laxus sighed in content for a second before he looked at her angelic face.

"Damn it, Blondie," he muttered quietly. "Why do you have to make me worry all the time?"

Perhaps it was the late hour and his sleep deprived mind, but slowly his thoughts began to wander as he gazed at the sleeping woman before him.

* * *

 _Laxus looked around the guild hall as chaos ensued. It was another day in Fairy Tail. Natsu and Gray were fighting, Cana was drinking her third barrel of alcohol, Loke was surrounded by his usual crowd of starry-eyed women, and Mira was behind the bar smiling out at everyone. Laxus scoffed at his pathetic guildmates. Idiots – all of them._

 _Suddenly, the guild doors opened and the lightning dragon slayer's nose was assaulted with the scent of strawberries and fresh paper. It was an odd combination but it worked, somehow. And Laxus couldn't get enough of it. Whose scent was this? Laxus absolutely_ _ **had**_ _to know. He looked up, his eyes seeking out the source of his sudden interest. Laxus' breath caught in his throat and his heart skipped a beat at the sight that met his eyes. She was beautiful. No, that word couldn't justify this woman. She wasn't beautiful. She was much more than that. Her chocolate eyes sparkled with a secret he was dying to know, her golden hair put the sun to shame, and when she smiled all was right in the world. This woman was heaven on Earthland. An angel gracing the world with her presence. For a solid minute, Laxus couldn't tear his eyes away from her as she greeted everyone in the guild. Sweet Mavis, her voice was musical! He vaguely registered the guild return her hello as he watched her approach the request board._

 _A glint of gold caught his eye and his attention snapped to the belt hanging off her hips. He spotted several gold and silver keys. Gate keys? So, she was a Celestial wizard, then? Well, that made sense, he thought. Of course a woman this divine would use the purest form of Light Magic._

 _Completely entranced, Laxus slowly made his way to Mira at the bar, not once taking his eyes off the Celestial beauty. He barely noticed the chair that narrowly missed his head as he grabbed a stool at the end of the bar. Laxus made sure not to draw attention to himself as he watched. After a minute or two, the woman's face lit up as she snatched a request off the board and walked over to where Natsu and Gray were still brawling. Laxus couldn't help but watch as her hips swayed temptingly and he gulped. Good God, what was this woman doing to him? He was snapped out of these thoughts when she spoke again._

 _"_ _Hey, Natsu! Want to go on a mission with me?" she said with a smile._

 _Instantly, Natsu and Gray stopped throwing their fists at each other and the pink-haired dragon slayer smiled back at her. Laxus frowned as he watched Natsu throw an arm around her shoulders enthusiastically._

 _"_ _Sure!" he said. "What one did you pick?"_

 _The woman held the request flyer out to him with a grin. Laxus scowled. What the hell was this? Who did Natsu think he was, touching her so nonchalantly? Laxus clenched his jaw as he watched the two of them make to leave the guild with Happy, the flying blue cat._

 _Mira walked up to him with a smile on her face. "What can I get you, Laxus?"_

 _He ordered his usual pint of beer. "New recruit?" he casually asked the bar maid with a nod to the retreating trio._

 _Mira glanced in the direction he'd indicated and her eyes lit up. "Oh, yes!" she chirped happily. "That's Lucy. She just joined last week. Natsu brought her here, actually." Laxus grunted to show he was listening. So, the angel's name was Lucy, huh? Perfect. "They're partners now. I think she's just what Fairy Tail needs. And aren't they just adorable together?"_

 _Laxus snapped the handle off his mug at her words and shot her a glare as she walked away to tend to someone else._

"I thought you were insane for partnering up with Natsu, you know," Laxus said to Lucy while she slept and he rubbed soothing circles on the back of her hand. He snorted in amusement at his own thoughts. "Hell, I bet the whole guild thought you were a little crazy." He was quiet for a moment before his mind drifted to another memory.

* * *

 _Everyone was sitting around, getting bandaged after the dark guild attacked them on Tenrou Island. Laxus was catching up with Gildarts when a peel of laughter caught his attention. Both Laxus' and Gildarts' heads snapped in the direction of the happy sound. It was Lucy, laughing at something Levy had said. All Laxus could do was suck in a sharp breath at the sight of her smile._

 _What the hell? He hadn't seen this woman in months. How could she still have such an effect on him?_

 _Gildarts chuckled next to him. "Ah, got your eyes on her, have you?"_

 _Laxus quickly looked away from Lucy. His cheeks were slightly pink. "No," he muttered._

 _Gildarts snorted in clear disbelief. "Sure, whatever you say. But if you did have an interest in her, my advice would be to make a move… before someone else does." Laxus couldn't hide the jealous anger in his eyes when he looked at the man. Gildarts chuckled again and tilted his head at a few others around the blonde woman. "You aren't the only one who can't stop looking at her."_

 _Laxus looked at everyone the older man had indicated and froze. Gildarts was right; Laxus was not the only one admiring the Celestial wizard. Natsu and Gray were smiling openly at her. Bickslow was giving her an appraising look and even Freed had the ghost of a smile on his lips when he glanced at her._

 _Laxus looked away with a glare. Gildarts smirked before adding, "And from what I hear, she's got a few admirers from Blue Pegasus, too,"_

 _An involuntary growl escaped the dragon slayer's lips as a roar sounded from overhead and a shadow passed over the entire island._

Laxus cringed at the memory of the dragon's attack on Fairy Tail's sacred land. Despite having lost so much time, Laxus was so glad they'd all been frozen for seven years. At least everyone had survived.

"I thought we were all going to die that day on Tenrou Island," Laxus sighed. "Even though we lost seven years, I'm glad we all made it out."

* * *

 _It was the water event at the Grand magic Games. Laxus watched with bated breath as the girls fought with everything they had, He should have been focusing on Juvia as she was his teammate, but Laxus only had eyes for Lucy as she swam about trying to find an opening. The dragon slayer had been worried for Lucy ever since her one-on-one battle with Flare. He knew her confidence was low after that defeat, even though everyone knew that Flare's team had cheated._

 _All was looking good for Lucy until Minerva launched her attack. The fight seemed to drag on for ages. Minerva was ruthless and brutal as every blow she dealt Lucy rattled the entire crowd. Laxus was so angry at Minerva, it was all he could do to stay put and not strangle her._

 _Finally, Minerva was done abusing Lucy. Laxus had the sudden urge to run to the fallen woman's side. He frowned. Why would he want to do that? Lucy had her friends to take care of her and worry about her. She didn't need him – someone whom she'd hardly ever exchanged words with. Laxus shook his head to rid himself of his thoughts. No, Lucy didn't need him. He was being ridiculous._

Lucy whimpered again in her sleep and Laxus cringed at the pained look on her beautiful face. Mavis, he hated seeing her in pain.

A memory flashed across his mind. One he'd desperately been trying to forget.

* * *

 _Laxus stood in his grandfather's office, towering over both Makarov and Lucy. He was desperately trying to get Lucy to stay. She couldn't leave Fairy Tail. She just couldn't!_

 _Harsh words were exchanged and tempers were rising. A storm was coming and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it._

 _"…_ _quit the guild and abandon her family!"_

 _"_ _Oh, please! Why do you even care, Laxus?"_ _ **Ouch. That stung.**_ _"It's not like my leaving the guild will affect you in any way."_ _ **You're wrong.**_

 _Oh, this was so frustrating! Couldn't she see that he cared? Why was everything a fight with her? They'd actually gotten to know each other quite a bit lately – the Games had brought the whole guild a little closer – but it seemed like all they did was fight. Even their friendly exchanges often involved a few snide comments._

 _"…_ _Loke did offer to help me train in the Spirit World. If I did decide to do that, I'd be gone longer."_

 _Laxus did_ _ **not**_ _like the sound of that. "How_ _ **much**_ _longer?"_

 _Her response caused another tidal wave of angry words to fall from his mouth. Inside, he was panicking – Lucy couldn't leave for_ _ **years**_ _! Before he knew it, Lucy was invading his personal space and giving him the lecture of a lifetime._

 _"First of all," she said in a low hiss. "What I do with my life is none of your goddamn business. If I want to go off and train, I fucking will and there's nothing you, or anyone else, can do to stop me." Laxus fought to hide his shock. He'd never heard her curse like that before. "I refuse to be controlled – that's why I ran away from home in the first place. Second, you have no idea why I've decided to do this. You haven't got a clue what I've been through." Oh, Mavis. What did she mean by that? Was there something she was hiding from everyone? Laxus started to get an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach as she poked him roughly in the chest "I need space and time away and you will fucking respect that. Thirdly, how dare you suggest that I'm some heartless bitch who would just abandon everyone she loves and cares for!" What? No! He wasn't trying to imply that at all! "Fairy Tail is my home and all of you are my family. I finally found a place where I feel like I belong. I would never give that up without a fight. This wasn't an easy decision for me and I don't appreciate you thinking so little of me and making this harder."_

 _A thousand things flew through his mind. Why couldn't he ever seem to say the right thing when it came to Lucy? Everything always came out so angry or demanding. He never meant it how it sounded but he had no idea how to explain that to her. Why was it so damn difficult to express his thoughts and feelings to this woman?_

 _All frustration left him when Lucy began to explain what pushed her into deciding to leave the guild._

 _"_ _Last week, we went on an S-Class mission with Erza," Laxus didn't like how she was avoiding their eyes. This couldn't be good. Dread filled him even more. "We were supposed to take out a small dark guild. We were told there were only ten members but when we got there, there were over thirty of them. They ambushed us. We were doing fine at first, then… I messed up." Laxus had to suppress a nervous gulp. "One of the mages could manipulate your thoughts. He tricked me into thinking I was fighting next to Gray when it was really him. He knocked me out when I turned away to go after someone else. I woke up in a nearby cave a few hours later. There were only three of them left but they still took me hostage. I… I couldn't move. They had me hanging from some chains and they'd taken my keys and put a spell on them so my spirits couldn't break through their gates."_

 _Laxus cringed at the sound of fear in her voice. What happened to her? Did he even want to know?_

 _Lucy began to remove her jacket which confused both Laxus and his grandfather. "They tortured me for hours," she whispered._

 _When Lucy turned to show them her back, Laxus could feel the color drain from his face. Sweet Mavis! Those marks looked fresh and extremely excruciating. Why would someone do this to her? Rage filled him. Who would dare cause his Lucy such pain?! Wait… his Lucy? Since when was she his? Lost in thought, Laxus missed some of what she said next. "… I asked them not to tell anyone."_

 _"_ _Dear child, you have to go to Wendy, immediately!"_

 _Yes! She should see Wendy! Laxus had half a mind to go grab the little dragon slayer right now-_

 _"_ _I already did. It seems that the whip wasn't just cursed. It was dipped in poison, too. Wendy healed me the best she could."_

 _What? Wendy already tried to heal her? And she couldn't? What kind of poison would prevent wounds from closing? Who the hell would use such a thing on another human being? The more the thought about it, the angrier he became. He was angry at the ones who tortured Lucy, he was angry at her team for not telling anyone, and he was angry with her for thinking she had to keep her pain to herself._

 _"_ _You can't do this, Blondie! Fairy Tail needs you! Have you even told your team about this? Stop this bull shit! If you really want to get stronger, I'll train you myself!" Please, don't leave! "You're not the only person this decision affects! Quit being selfish and-"_

 _SMACK! Laxus probably should have expected the slap that followed, but he hadn't. Instead, he was shocked into silence as she shook with her own rage. His breath caught. Even when livid, she was stunning._

 _"_ _How dare you call me selfish!" Shit. Again, he'd said something he didn't mean. "I would do anything to protect my friends and family. I would die if it meant I could protect Fairy Tail! Hell, I have died before to save all of Fiore!" What did that mean? When had she died before? "So don't you ever call me selfish again, Laxus Dreyar!"_

 _The months that followed left Laxus feeling empty. He was hallow. Without Lucy around, he found little reason to be happy. Life was dull without the Celestial mage just across the guild hall. It wasn't just Laxus, either. Everyone felt the change and no one liked it much. They needed Lucy. For Laxus, it was a little more complicated. Sure, he needed Lucy's smile to light up the world around him just like the rest of the guild did, but after she'd been gone for a few months, he'd realized something. There was a reason he felt like he needed her like oxygen; he was in love with her. He wasn't just attracted to her flawless beauty like he'd originally thought. He was actually_ _ **in love**_ _with her. It took losing her to realize that. Laxus knew he would sacrifice anything for her, he would do anything to protect her, and he would even die for her – but she was gone now._

 _When Lucy suddenly stopped sending letters to the guild, Laxus knew something was wrong. He couldn't help the dread that filled him when no one – not even her team – had heard from her in weeks. Makarov had had to stop him several times from going off to find her himself. Sweet Mavis, he prayed she was all right. If anything happened to her, he'd never forgive himself. If only she'd come back, he could protect her and make sure she was okay. He'd even confess his feelings to her if he could only see her once more. He thought to himself every night, 'please, god let her come home.'_

Quietly, Laxus asked the sleeping woman something he'd been thinking about since she'd first left. "Do they still hurt, Lucy?" he whispered. "The marks on your back. I know you said they can't be healed. They still looked fresh to me. Do they still hurt, too?" Oh, how he hoped they no longer troubled her.

 _When Lucy's name was announced followed by Violet's, all Laxus wanted to do was grab Lucy and lightning teleport them away. He had a bad feeling about this battle and he wasn't willing to risk losing Lucy. Again._

 _"_ _Hiding behind your spirits already, Lucy?" Lucy glared but kept quiet. "Oh? Nothing to say today, I see. Well, that's a shame. I was hoping to have a nice little chat before I destroyed you. Tell me, how is the little dragon slayer doing?"_

 _Laxus' eyes widened and he let out a growl. So, the woman who wanted his mate dead is also the one who attacked little Wendy? Wait, did he just say mate? What? Laxus shook his head and watched Lucy throw herself into the fight angrily. Laxus was relieved to see Lucy holding her own against Violet so far. Unfortunately, that still didn't stop the worry from getting to him. After a little while, Laxus watched Lucy get flung into the wall near them and he growled at Violet out of reflex._

 _"_ _Be careful, Lucy!" Laxus heard Freed shout at her. "She's using Darkness Magic. It's much like my own. You must take caution, it's very dangerous!"_

 _Oh, no. That's not good._

 _Lucy seemed to take Freed's warning to heart because she and Loke formulated some kind of plan that he could barely hear over the crowd._

 _"_ _I was thinking the exact same thing, Loke. You can go now. I'll be fine."_

 _What the hell was she thinking, sending Loke back to the Spirit World? Apparently Violet was thinking the same thing. "Sending your spirit away to cast a spell? Are you that desperate, Lucy? You know you don't stand a chance without one of your spirits to hide behind."_

 _Laxus felt that Lucy's answering smile was rather smug. 'Please, don't do anything stupid.'_

 _"_ _No, I'm not desperate, but I'm definitely not playing around with you anymore." Playing around? Had Lucy been baiting Violet this whole time? What did she have up her sleeve? "Celestial Elixir: Lunation!"_

 _Laxus was impressed with her spell and glad to see that she no longer had any injuries._

 _"…_ _it can't fix everything." Laxus heard everyone gasp in shock but he cringed. Mavis, he'd hoped those marks would have healed more. It'd been over a year now and they were still red and angry looking._

 _Lucy's strength impressed Laxus as she launched herself into the air. "I've learned a few new tricks, Violet. Let's see if you can keep up!" Don't taunt her! "Star Dress! Taurus Form!"_

 _Laxus was in awe at the sight that now greeted him. Lucy was standing in an entirely new outfit with a terrifying looking axe slung over her shoulder like it was nothing. Is this what she learned while she was gone? What kind of Celestial magic was this? And holy shit, the magic energy she was now giving off was dramatically different from what she usually gave off. Was this really Lucy? Good God, did she just cause an earthquake with that axe?_

 _The next form she took shocked Laxus even more. She looked lethal in this form and he couldn't help but think she also looked extremely sexy. Where the hell did she learn this? The fight went on and Laxus' jaw dropped when he saw her transform again. This time she held twin swords and fought with them like it was nothing. She was amazing! Where had she learned to handle swords like that? If she'd shown him this new magic before, he might not have followed her on that job. It was clear she didn't need his protection. Lucy was a master all on her own._

 _Laxus clenched his fists when Violet managed to steal Lucy's whip and wrapped it around her neck. He held his breath, listening to everything Violet said to her._

 _Freed, Gray, and Gildarts had to hold him back when Violet started yanking Lucy around like a rag doll. Every time she hit the ground and the sickening crunch met his ears, Laxus saw red. He had to get to Lucy. Violet was going to die by his hand and that's all there was to it! Damn it! Why wouldn't they let him help her?_

 _Violet must have said something to motivate Lucy because she somehow found the strength to yank the whip out of Violet's hand to free herself. Laxus struggled against the men's hold even more. He could sense that her magic was almost out._

 _"_ _Star Armor! Celestial Spirit King!"_

 _The next thing Laxus knew, Lucy was standing before them in magnificent armor. Her eyes were glowing and she gave off so much magic energy it nearly knocked the wind out of Laxus' lungs. What the hell was this? It was enough to get Laxus to pause in his struggle against his teammates._

 _"_ _With all the force of the Universe, I cast my judgment!" Lucy declared in a God-like voice. "My righteousness shall rain down from the Heavens and bring justice! Shower of the Stars: Meteor Shower!"_

 _Laxus sucked in a sharp breath as Lucy's spell hit Violet. He'd never seen anything like that before._

 _Slowly, Lucy changed back to her normal self and panic overtook Laxus this time. She didn't look good at all. He had to help her! This time, no one stopped him as he ran to her aid. Before he could reach her, however, Loke reappeared and caught her in his arms. Laxus didn't care though. He was going to help her, no matter what._

 _"_ _Lucy, you promised you wouldn't use that armor."_

 _"_ _I know, I'm sorry, Loke, but I had no choice. She was going for the kill."_

 _Laxus watched the lion nuzzle her cheek and he briefly had to look away from this show of affection. It hurt too much. "I know. Get some rest, Princess. I'll send for Gemini to heal you."_

 _"_ _Thank you."_

* * *

Laxus snapped out of his thoughts when Lucy gave a jolt in her sleep. Worriedly, he looked at her face to see it screwed up in pain and fear. Oh, no. What was she dreaming about? Was it a nightmare? Lucy surprised Laxus when she gripped his hand firmly. Something warm erupted in Laxus' chest at the action. With a small smile, he squeezed her hand gently in return.

"It's okay, Lucy," he said in an affectionate whisper. "I'm here with you. You're safe." Tenderly, he lifted a hand to her cheek and brushed a few stray hairs from her face. For a moment, all was perfect in his world. He was finally able to touch the woman he loved in the adoring way he'd desired for so long and she wasn't pushing him away with her words. Mavis! Laxus knew he would never want another woman the way he wanted Lucy. No one else could possibly compare to her. He couldn't live with himself if something more were to happen to her. Laxus had never been so devoted. It didn't take much for Laxus to conclude that he wouldn't let her go through that again. Never again. Not if he could help it.

Then the world came crashing down around him at Lucy's muttered words as she spoke in her sleep.

"No… please… don't want to… can't leave. Please, save me… Freed…"

A lump formed in Laxus' throat and water pricked at the corners of his eyes. Those words were worse than a death sentence. Of course Lucy wouldn't love him back, but did she have to want his best friend? Laxus took a deep breath and gently kissed Lucy's forehead before he stood to leave the infirmary. If Lucy was truly happy with Freed, he would let them be. He didn't have the heart to make Lucy unhappy. Hell, if Freed truly cared for her, he wouldn't stand in his way. He was his best friend after all, and he wanted nothing but the best for him.

This changed nothing, however. Laxus was determined to protect Lucy no matter what. Even if she loved another.

* * *

 **A/N: It took me forever to get my mind around this chapter! I'm sorry it took me a while, guys. For some reason I was having the hardest time writing in his pov (sort of). I just couldn't put my finger on how I wanted to go about it and then the flashbacks! Ugh, those sent me in for a tizzy. But, oh well. It's done now and I hope you all enjoy it. I wanted to show Laxus softening up a bit and you get to see more of his thoughts and how he realized he loved her. Anywho, I need to be getting to sleep now. Work 12 hours tomorrow, like usual.  
**

 **P.S.: Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing, I truly appreciate it and I hope you don't hate me after this chapter.**

 **~Andromeda**


	11. Chapter 11: Premonition

Chapter 11

Premonition

Lucy looked around and all she could see was a thick, white mist. There was nothing else around her. Only mist. Lucy frowned. What in the world was going on?

A sudden breeze whisked past her and Lucy's breath caught when she turned to face the wind. In front of her, there stood what appeared to be a circular window handing in mid-air.

"I get it," Lucy muttered to herself. "This is a dream."

Hesitantly, Lucy stepped up to the window in the mist and reached a hand out to try and touch it. She was surprised when her fingertips met solid glass. Curiously, Lucy gazed through the window and gasped at what she saw. The window seemed to be some kind of portal because beyond the window, there was a room instead of mist. Where that portal led is what shocked Lucy. On the other side of the glass, Lucy recognized the guild's library, but that wasn't all. Seated at a nearby table, Lucy could see herself and Freed. They appeared to be arguing. Unconsciously, Lucy pressed her nose against the glass, desperately trying to hear what they were saying. Unfortunately, it seemed like the glass was partially sound-proof. Lucy could only catch bits and pieces of what was being said.

"Lucy!... changes everything!... can't pretend that everything is okay…" she heard Freed scold her dream-self.

"… changes nothing… still have to find… got to be a way…"

"You know there isn't… worse than we thought… surprised it didn't kill you… can't take it out… have to tell…"

"… had a deal!... still have a few…"

"… can't wait any more… isn't safe… need help… I don't think… be the only one…"

"No… please… don't want to… can't leave. Please, save me… Freed…"

Lucy felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. She watched as Freed pulled himself away from the other Lucy's grasp and left her alone in the guild's library. Why would Freed abandon her when she needed him most? What discovery had been made to cause such a rift between them? Lucy was really starting to like Freed. He was a really wonderful person and a truly loyal friend. She didn't want to lose him!

Wait… this was just a dream. None of this had really happened. And she was determined that it never would! Then, a voice spoke gently from behind her and she froze. Lucy held her breath. That voice… it was so familiar.

"Hello, Lucy," it said gently.

Slowly, Lucy turned around and her breath hitched. Layla Heartfilia stood before her with a small smile and kind eyes. "M… Mom?" Lucy whispered. She was so shocked, she didn't know what else to say. It's not like she's never dreamt about her mother before, but it's been years…

Layla smiled even wider at her daughter. "My, how you've grown! You've become such a beautiful young woman. Just like I always knew you would."

Lucy looked at her mother in awe. She was at a loss for words. What do you say to the mother you lost when you were ten? "I miss you, Mom," was all she could whisper.

Layla lifted a delicate hand to Lucy's cheek and brushed away a few stray tears. "I know. I miss you, too, darling." For a moment, the two just relished in their little reunion. "Now," Layla said, firmly grasping Lucy's shoulders. "I need you to listen to me very carefully, Lulu."

Lucy gave her a confused look but nodded her head anyway.

"I'm so sorry I left you before I could tell you the truth."

"The truth about what?"

Layla shook her head earnestly. "There's no time, Lucy. You're looking for answers, aren't you? You're trying to find a cure?" Lucy's eyes widened in shock. "I think I can help you with that. Before I died, I was trying to do the exact same thing. I came close to figuring it out, too."

"You did? Mom, that's-"

Layla shook her head again. "Go home, Lucy. You'll find some answers if you go home."

Lucy frowned. Go home? No, she didn't want to wake up yet. She needed more time with her mother. "No, I-" Lucy started, but her words were lost on the mist that was quickly engulfing her. It pulled her away from Layla and she could see her mother trying to talk to her again, but there was no sound. No, this couldn't be happening! She couldn't lose her mom again!

With a jolt, Lucy sat up in bed as sweat dripped down her brow. Wildly, she looked around hoping to see her mother's face one more time. It took her a moment to calm down and recognize her surroundings. Lucy took a deep breath and fell back on to her pillows as sunlight poured in through the infirmary window.

"Are you okay, Lucy?" came Wendy's concerned voice from the bed next to hers.

Lucy shot up in her again. "Wendy! You're awake! How are you feeling?"

Wendy smiled at her. "I'm much better now. How about you?"

Lucy waved off her concern as she joined Wendy in her bed. "I'm so sorry you were attacked, Wendy," she whispered as she hugged the younger girl close. "I was so scared for you. It's all my fault."

"Don't say that, Lucy," Wendy said softly as she returned the embrace. "It's _no one's fault._ I'm all better now."

A single tear escaped Lucy. "I'm so glad for that."

* * *

It was on the train ride back to Magnolia when Lucy next thought of her strange dream. What was her mother trying to say? What was that argument with Freed all about? Was it even a dream at all?

The entire guild celebrated their victory in the Grand Magic Games that night when they arrived back in Magnolia. Lucy smiled and laughed with everyone when needed but for the most part, she kept quiet and to herself. No one really noticed but when they did, Lucy just brushed it off as exhaustion from her battle with Violet. In truth, she had a lot on her mind.

Everyone seemed immensely interested in Lucy's new skills. She smiled as she answered all of their questions and by the end of the night, the guild was filled with passed out members. Lucy was about to leave for the night when a large shadow loomed over her. With exhaustion etched all over her face, Lucy turned to face the man behind her.

"Hello, Laxus," she said quietly.

Lucy didn't know what to expect from the lightning mage, but she definitely didn't expect him to be looking at her in the way he was. There was a gentle determination there that caused her to blink.

Laxus nodded at her greeting. "Can we talk?"

Lucy blinked again. She really wasn't in the mood for one of his lectures but she could tell by the look in his eyes that it was more of a demand than a request. With a resigned sigh, Lucy nodded and watched as Laxus took the seat next to hers. A thick silence hung in the air as neither of them looked at each other. The only sound in the entire guild was that of Mirajane washing dishes in the kitchen.

Lucy sighed again before taking another sip of her drink. "If you're here to give me a lecture, you can just forget it. I'm not going to apologize for fighting Violet."

Laxus remained quiet. Curious, Lucy chanced a glance at the man next to her. She was surprised to see him fidgeting with his mug, a somewhat sad expression on his face.

"I wasn't going to lecture you," he said softly. Lucy kept quiet, waiting for him to continue. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

Lucy's eyes widened in surprise. Of all the things she expected Laxus to say, an apology was nowhere on that list.

"I know I've been an ass," he continued. "I don't mean to be. It's just – I…" Laxus heaved a sigh of his own and looked up to stare at a far wall of the guild. "I'm worried about you, Blondie." Lucy kept quiet. She didn't know how to respond to that. What was she supposed to say?

"It wasn't right without you here. The guild, I mean. No one was very happy while you were gone. For nearly a whole year, this entire place felt… sad. It was like we just had a funeral of something. Everyone was quiet," Laxus let out a small, rather bitter, laugh. "And you know 'quiet' was never Fairy Tail's style. It wasn't the same after you left us-" Lucy made to protest that she hadn't left them, but Laxus kept talking. "When you stopped sending the guild letters, everyone panicked. I'm pretty sure if it hadn't been for Gramps, a lot of people would've gone searching for you. Then, when you finally came back, the whole guild lit up again. It's like you were Fairy Tail's shining beacon of hope and when you came back to us, we could all breathe again. Everyone remembered how to laugh and smile again. Without you, we all forgot."

Lucy felt many emotions stirring within her at his words – guilt being chief among them.

"I don't think Fairy Tail could make it if you left us like that again, Blondie. You might not know it, but you're one of the things that keeps this guild together. We're a family. And family protects one another. That's why I followed you on that job and why I've been such a jerk. I just wanted to make sure you were safe. I want to protect you. I wanted to kill Violet when you two were fighting, you know. I hated seeing her hurt you. Now I know you don't need my protection. You were amazing out there yesterday."

Laxus paused as if gathering more of his thoughts. Lucy cleared her throat and blinked back tears. "I should be the one apologizing," she whispered. Lucy looked down in shame and twiddled her thumbs. "I'm the one who left. Even though I didn't mean to hurt everyone, I still feel awful for it. I still believe it was something I had to do, though. And I'm the one keeping secrets from the guild."

Laxus' fists clenched for a moment before he relaxed again. "I won't pretend that I'm all right with you sneaking around and keeping things from us, but I won't bug you about it anymore," he said. Lucy looked up at him in surprise. He met her gaze with a fierce intensity. "Whatever it is you're hiding, you've involved Freed. He's a member of my team and one of my best friends. I need you to be honest with me; is Freed in any danger? Will whatever he's helping you with put him at risk?"

Lucy's eyes widened. She shook her head firmly. "No. I wouldn't have asked him to help me if it could put him in mortal danger. I wouldn't risk him like that."

Something flashed in Laxus' eyes but it was gone before Lucy could identify it. Laxus nodded. "Good," he said before looking away again. "Anyway, I just wanted to clear the air. And… I know you'll probably get mad at me for this, but I don't really give a damn. I made a promise to protect Fairy Tail and everyone in it. That includes you. You don't have to like it and you can hate me if you want, but I plan on keeping that promise. I _will_ protect you, no matter what. Even though you don't need me to, I'm going to do it. I know you've got your team and Freed, but that's not going to stop me from looking out for you. This is Fairy Tail and we take care of our nakama. I won't let Fairy Tail lose you again."

Tears fell down Lucy's cheeks and she shook with emotion. Laxus' words hurt her and touched her deeply all at once.

Swiftly, Laxus stood from his seat and hovered next to her. He was clearly debating on whether or not he should just end the conversation. "I won't bother you anymore. Keep your secrets. I'm sure you'll tell the guild when you're ready. Just promise me you'll try to be more careful from now on. I can't take you being so reckless all the time. Please, tell me you'll be careful, Lucy?"

Lucy looked up at him in awe. Very rarely did Laxus ever call her by her name. Tears continued to cascade down her cheeks as she spoke in almost a whisper. "I… I promise, Laxus."

Laxus nodded. "Good," he muttered. He went to walk away but he didn't get very far. Before Lucy knew what se was doing, she latched herself onto Laxus' sleeve. He paused and looked down at the tearful woman. His heart broke a little more at the sight of emotional pain on her beautiful face.

Lucy wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. "I'm so sorry, Laxus," she mumbled into his chest. Laxus froze. He was caught between wanting to hold her in his arms to comfort her and needing to push her away because she wasn't his to hold. She was Freed's. "I don't deserve people like you in my life. Thank you."

Lucy then released him and swiftly left the guild. Laxus was left staring after her with his heart throbbing even more painfully. It was hard to breathe. Lucy deserved the world but she thought she was unworthy. What happened to make her think such things?

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry it took me so long to post this chapter. I meant to have it up over the weekend but the holidays got the best of me. Then I tried to post it yesterday but for some reason I couldn't upload the doc. Anyway, it's fixed now and you're free to read and judge my work! ^_^ I hope you like this one. The words kind of flowed easily for me this time. I'll be moving on to chapter 12 now, so I hope to hear all of your thoughts! I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! I plan on posting again by New Year's day!**

 **~Andromeda**


	12. Chapter 12: Restless

**A/N: Just wanted to say a few things in regards to some reviews you lovely people have left me. ^_^**

 **Mistress Katana & sverhei: lol yes, I know it was rather frustrating with Laxus' misinterpretation of Freed and Lucy's relationship. Hopefully this chapter fixes that. Thank you for being patient with me.**

 **. : Thank you sooooo much for your review! All reviews generally make my day, but yours was so kind and generous. I'm glad you enjoy the story and I hope you continue to like it. ^_^**

 **Guest: (Unfortunately, you left me no name, so this will have to do.) Yes, I do read and write Fairy Tail fanfics. Though I'm fairly new to the fandom, I love it very much and it's quickly becoming one of my favorite animes. Hope you have a lovely day!**

 **Anywho! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 12

Restless

A month had passed since the Grand Magic Games. Things were back to normal in the guild and everyone was happy. Everyone, that is, except Laxus. The lightning dragon slayer stood on the second floor, frowning down at everyone as he watched them.

Bickslow took notice of his friend's unhappiness. "What's wrong, Boss? You look like something's bothering you."

Laxus didn't look at him but his frown deepened. For another moment, he observed a certain Celestial mage before speaking up. "Hey, Freed!" he said over the usual noise. The Rune mage looked up at him from where he sat next to Lucy. Laxus jerked his head up, indicating that Freed should join them on the second floor for a second. Laxus watched as Freed assured Lucy that he would return before he climbed the stairs.

"Yes, Laxus?" Freed said when he reached them. "What is it?"

Laxus folded his arms across his chest and looked at his friend seriously. "What's going on with Blondie?"

Freed blinked in surprise. "Laxus, you know I can't-"

"I'm not asking about her secret," he interrupted. "I mean, what's wrong with her? She looks exhausted and she's been acting distant lately. I just want to make sure she's okay."

Freed frowned and furrowed his brow. "So, you've noticed it, too, then?" Laxus nodded. "I thought it was just my imagination," Freed muttered with a sigh. "I'm afraid I don't know what's wrong with her right now. At first, I thought she was just frustrated. Our research isn't turning up any answers and we're running out of places to look. But now, I'm not so sure…"

Laxus frowned. "Well, you need to figure out what's going on, then."

Freed nodded in agreement. Laxus would be damned if he just sat by and watched Lucy wither away. She looked terrible and he was a little annoyed that Freed hadn't done anything to help her before now. "You're right," Freed said firmly. "I'll try to get her to talk to me."

Laxus shook his head. "No, you _have_ to get her to talk to you. You're supposed to be taking care of her. You've gotten close to her." Freed looked at Laxus in confusion. What was he getting at? "I've backed off so I'm not standing in your way. I fully expect you to take care of her not that you've got her."

Freed's eyes widened and panic rose within him. Sweet Mavis! Laxus thought that he and Lucy were an item? Oh, no! An embarrassed flush covered Freed's cheeks and he stumbled over his words, frantically trying to correct the lightning mage. "I-it-it's not l-l-l-like that, Laxus!" Laxus raised a doubtful eyebrow. "I'm only helping Lucy in her research. There's nothing g-g-going o-o-on between us! She's become a dear friend and I care for her very much, but there's nothing more. Lucy is like a younger sister to me."

"A sister, huh?" Bickslow smirked from where he sat.

Freed nodded and ran a hand over the back of his neck in discomfiture. "Truly, she kind of reminds me of my actual sister."

Evergreen giggled. "Which one?"

Freed smiled. "Emily. My youngest sister," he answered. "She and Lucy are quite alike."

There was an awkward silence for a moment before Laxus cleared his throat. "Either way, I've entrusted her wellbeing to you, Freed. You need to figure out what's bothering her."

Freed nodded before turning to scurry back to the blonde in question. Before he even took three steps, however, Lucy was half-way up the stairs with a smile on her face.

"Hey guys!" she chirped. Even though she smiled brightly, they could all still see her exhaustion. The group murmured their greetings as the Celestial mage went to stand next to Freed. She looked around at them all. "What's up?"

The men exchanged looks, none of them wanting to upset the woman somehow. Thankfully, Evergreen was the one to take charge and speak. "We're just concerned, Lucy," she said with a rare, soft smile. "Are you all right? You look a little run-down. Could you have caught a bug?"

For a moment, surprise registered on Lucy's face before a gentle grin replaced it. "I'm fine, Evergreen," she replied. "I'm just a little tired is all. I haven't been sleeping very well lately."

Freed frowned and looked at her in concern. "Is there something preventing you from getting the sleep you need, Lucy?"

Bickslow snickered, his tongue flopping out of his mouth in amusement. "I can think of a few things… Finally got yourself a boyfriend, Cosplayer? Has he been keeping you up at night?"

Lucy gaped at him as her cheeks went a dark red. Laxus froze at the crude statement.

"Bickslow!" Evergreen screeched as she whacked him with her fan.

Bickslow just cackled as his babies hovered around him. "Do you need me to kidnap him for a few days so you can get some rest?" Evergreen hit the Seith mage again while Freed turned a deep crimson and Laxus scowled at him.

Lucy quickly got her blush under control and looked at Bickslow with an evil glint in her eyes. She offered him a sweet smile as she leaned forward playfully, discreetly reaching for her keys as she spoke. "Oh, Bickslow! That's so sweet of you! If that were the case, I'd gladly take you up on that offer." Lucy gently ran her fingers across a certain key, silently calling forth the spirit. "Unfortunately, I think you'll be too busy with your own problems to come to my rescue."

Bickslow looked at her in confusion before a bright red light appeared next to Lucy and a small, nine-tailed fox spirit emerged. Vulpecula smiled with mischief before he pounced on the unsuspecting totems floating next to Bickslow's head. The Seith mage emitted an unbecoming cry at the spirit's attack. "Damn it, Cosplayer!" he shrieked as he jumped up to chase the fox now tormenting his precious babies. "I told you to keep your stupid fox away from my babies!"

Lucy snickered and shouted after him. "It's your punishment for being an assuming pervert!"

The entire guild laughed as Bickslow ran around, trying to save his little totems from the frisky fox. Lucy turned back to the others with a satisfied smirk. Laxus had an amused look in his eyes, Freed was openly laughing, and Evergreen was trying to stifle her giggles behind her hand.

After regaining her composure, Evergreen went back to questioning Lucy. "So, really, what's wrong, Lucy? Something on your mind?"

Lucy sighed as her exhaustion caught up with her again. She crossed her arms in contemplation. "I've been having this strange nightmare ever since the Grand Magic Games. It's always the same thing. It never changes and I can't figure it out. It's starting to drive me crazy."

Freed frowned at her while Laxus and Evergreen exchanged looks. "What's the nightmare about?" the Fairy mage asked cautiously.

Lucy frowned slightly and furrowed her brow. "Well…" she started slowly. "I suppose it's more of a dream than a nightmare. It always starts out with this weird, white mist. I'm surrounded by it and-"

Before she could continue, however, Vulpecula landed on the railing next to her and quickly transformed into his human form, gripping her arm in urgency. Lucy looked at her spirit with concerned eyes. "Vulpy, what is-"

"Who did you see, Lu?" the fox demanded.

"What are you-" Lucy started in confusion.

Vulpecula shook his ginger head violently. " _No_. Who did you see in your dream, Lucy? You saw one of your ancestors, right?"

She stared at him, dumbfounded. "How did you know that?" she whispered.

Vulpecula released her and ran a shaking hand through his messy hair. "Because, it's not a dream," he said nervously.

Freed's frown deepened. "What do you mean? If it's not a dream, then what is it?"

The spirit's eyes never left his master's as he answered the question. "It's a Celestial Wizard's Premonition."

Freed, Evergreen, and Laxus shared confused looks, but Lucy gasped. Her eyes were wide as saucers and her hand flew up to her lips. "Are you serious?" she inquired with wide eyes. Vulpecula nodded. "How can you be sure?"

"The mist," he said simply. "It always starts with mist. Then it's followed by the vision and a visit from an ancestor."

Laxus scowled at the spirit. "What on Earthland is a Celestial Wizard's Premonition?"

The fox's ears twitched in mild irritation at the dragon slayer's tone, but he kept quiet as his master explained. "It's an ancient magic among Celestial wizards. Most of the time, Celestial magic is passed down genetically. Because our magic is connected to a world of spirits that live immortal lives, it also connects us to…" Lucy sighed, struggling to find the right words. This was harder to explain than she expected it to be. "Well… I suppose it connects us to… _time._ " Evergreen and Laxus looked confused while Freed seemed to consider her words carefully. Lucy huffed. "In simpler terms, the nature of Celestial magic can allow us to have visions of the past or future. In a way, it's kind of like Cana's card readings. But it's a very rare gift. Most Celestial wizards go their entire lives without having one."

"So," Freed mused slowly. "What was your dream about? If it really was a Celestial Premonition, it must be important for it to be recurring."

Lucy frowned, lost in her own thoughts.

"Never mind that right now!" Vulpecula said dismissively. "Who did you see, Lu? Which ancestor?"

Lucy cocked her head at her spirit. "Why do you keep asking that? Does it matter who I saw?"

"Yes!" he said urgently. "It matters very much! Ancestors act as guides in a Premonition. They're supposed to pass along a message."

Lucy was silent for a moment before she answered with a nearly sad look. "I saw my mother."

The fox spirit sucked in a sharp breath as the three others looked nervous and concerned. Lucy looked down, hoping to hide her sadness from them. Suddenly, Vulpecula pulled Lucy into a warm hug before gently gripping her shoulders to look her square in the eye. "This is very important, Lucy, so listen; what did Layla tell you in the vision? You have to be precise."

"She… she said I'll fine the answers I'm looking for if I go home." Lucy whispered. "But I don't understand it. I've been home for weeks now and we still haven't found what we're looking for." Lucy shook her head. "How do you know so much about this stuff anyway?"

The fox waved away her question. "That's not important-"

"No," Lucy said firmly. "Tell me, Vulpy."

A frustrated growl escaped the fox as he crossed his arms roughly. "I know what I do because I used to be your mother's spirit, Lu," he said pointedly.

Lucy's eyes widened. "Are you… are you saying she had a vision once, too?" He nodded and Lucy pleaded with him. "What was hers about?"

Briefly, Vulpecula looked away from his beautiful key-holder. "Lucy… your mother – Layla – she saw her death in her Premonition."

Lucy froze as Evergreen gasped. It seemed as if hours passed while Lucy's mind raced with all sorts of thoughts. Layla knew she was going to die? Why didn't she say anything? Is that why she was doing her own research on the disease that now plagued Lucy? Did this mean that finding a cure was hopeless? Lucy was broken from her reflections when someone gently touched her shoulder.

"Lucy?" Freed said with anxiety. "Are you all right?"

The blonde woman nodded as an epiphany struck her. "Wait!" she nearly shouted as she looked up at her faithful fox. "Vulpy, she said 'go home!' Does that mean-"

The fox-man smiled at her quick wit. "I believe it does, Lulu. If you go home, you should find some answers."

Lucy's eyes lit up with excitement as a wide grin graced her lips. "Of course!" she shouted as Vulpecula vanished in his signature red light. Frantically, she dug around in her purple bag. "Why didn't I realize that before? Mavis, I'm an idiot!"

Laxus frowned while Freed and Evergreen looked bewildered. "Um… Lucy?" Freed implored. "What is it you figured out?"

"Ha!" Lucy declared triumphantly when she retrieved the little black marble. She looked at Freed with renewed fire in her eyes as she seized him by the wrist. "I've got a new lead! I know where we need to look now, Freed!"

"Really?" the Rune mage said, shock and intrigue clearly etched on his face.

Lucy nodded enthusiastically as she prepared the black hole. She was completely oblivious to the looks she was getting from Laxus, Evergreen, and (a now returned) Bickslow. "Yes! We need to go _now_! I'll explain everything when we get there. Come on, let's go!" she said as she tugged him toward the black hole in the guild floor.

Freed paled slightly and tried to resist. "Can't we just take the train? You know the black holes don't agree with me, Lucy."

"There's no time, Freed!" she exclaimed in exasperation. "You're much better with black hole travel now. So, quit being such a baby and let's go! You're wasting time!"

Freed wouldn't budge, despite being called a baby in front of all his close friends. Lucy rolled her eyes and dived at the stubborn man. An undignified yelp escaped him as Lucy latched onto Freed's waist, pulling him into the nothingness with her.

* * *

 **A/N x2: So, that's chapter 12! I hope you all liked it. I'll admit, it was probably a little dull for some of you, but I swear, the next few chapters are nice and juicy!**

 **~Andromeda**


	13. Chapter 13: What it Means to Be A

Chapter 13

What it Means to Be A Heartfilia

Many miles away, Lucy and Freed landed in a heap on the floor of a deserted library. With a grunt, Freed managed to get up and dust himself off before lending a hand to his companion. "I _hate_ it when you do that, Lucy," he scolded her lightly.

Lucy rolled her eyes dramatically and she dusted off her worn out jeans. "We would have landed on our feet if you hadn't been resisting like a stubborn little two-year-old."

"Pft…" Freed huffed indignantly but otherwise ignored her little jab. He looked around at the dust covered room. "Where did you take us to this time?"

Lucy smiled sadly as she looked around. "I took us to my home. Welcome to the Heartfilia Konzern, Freed."

* * *

For weeks, Lucy and Freed hunted through the shelves of the Heartfilia library, following her mother's lead. Besides the Master, no one in the guild knew where they had run off to. All anyone knew, was that they left to collect information for their private mission.

It wasn't until three weeks before Christmas that they found anything. They'd finally given up searching the library and had moved on to other parts of the house. Today, they were searching her mother's private study.

After nearly three hours, Freed stumbled on the Heartfilia family tree at the same time that Lucy discovered her mother's private journal. He was about to toss the tree aside when something peculiar caught his attention. With a furrowed brow, he turned to Lucy with a question forming on his lips. "Lucy," he said as he scrutinized her list of ancestors.

"Hmm?" Lucy hummed absentmindedly as she thumbed through the journal she'd found.

"Were you aware that all the women in your family appear to die before thirty?"

Lucy frowned and looked up at her companion. "What are you talking about?"

Freed brandished the roll of old parchment at her. "I found your family tree. All the women seem to pass away before they reach the age of thirty."

Lucy scurried over to the Rune mage and carefully looked over the family tree in his hands. "You're right," she said in shock. "That's strange. Do you think the disease is passed down through the female line?"

"It seems that way," Freed mused. "But the truly odd thing is that it looks like it only appeared in your family line about five hundred years ago." He pointed to an ancestor named Lucinda Heartfilia who died at the age of twenty-eight in the year X285.

Lucy's frown deepened. "I wonder… if it's genetic, why did it randomly start with Lucinda? Why not before her? Could she have had a genetic mutation or something?"

Freed hummed in agreement as he continued to study the tree. Lucy couldn't help the feeling of dread that now filled her. Instinctively, Lucy knew that they had found the answers they'd been seeking. What could this mean? Why was it only the women who died so young? What piece of the story were they still missing?

Lucy was pulled from her thoughts when Freed asked another question. "What's that you have there, Lucy?"

"Huh? Oh!" she said with a shake of her head. "It looks like it was my mother's private journal."

Freed perked up instantly. "Perhaps she wrote about her own discoveries in there?"

Lucy's eyes lit up. "Yeah! You're right! Maybe she did." Hurriedly, Lucy flipped to the last entry in the journal in excitement. Instead of finding hope, Lucy froze at the words she read.

"What is it?" Freed asked in concern when he saw her begin to shake. "What does it say?"

Lucy looked up at him with wide, panicked eyes. She was pale as a ghost. "It's not a disease."

Freed inched closer to the Celestial mage and peered at the page of the journal in question. There were written, plain as day, only two sentences for the entry dated sixth July X777.

 _'_ _It's not a disease. It's a curse.'_

Freed, too, went pale at the discovery. He indicated, to Lucy, the date, and said, "Lucy, isn't that date the-"

Lucy nodded with tears forming in her eyes. "Yes," she whispered. "It is. My mother… she figured it out… and died the next day… She was too late…"

On instinct, Freed pulled Lucy into his arms and held her tightly. He _did not_ like seeing her in pain. For several minutes, the pair stood there in silence until, finally, Lucy pulled away and wiped her cheeks.

"Thanks, Freed," she said quietly. She straightened her jacket and let out a determined huff. "We should go back to Magnolia now. I think we've found what we were looking for."

Freed nodded and they left to go gather their things to return home.

* * *

It was on the train ride back to Fairy Tail when the new reality of the situation finally hit them. They'd just finished consulting with Grandpa Crux.

"I'm sorry, Lucy," said the spirit of the Southern Cross. "But my records of the Heartfilia family only go back to Anna's time, I'm afraid. From what I can gather, there isn't much known about the family prior to that. I apologize."

Lucy sighed. "It's all right. Thanks anyway."

Lucy stared out of the train window grumpily while Freed studied her family tree closely. After nearly an hour, Freed growled in frustration and shoved the offending document away from him. "This is ridiculous!" he seethed. "It makes no sense! If it really is a curse, what could have caused it? Why is it only the women? Why haven't we found a record of it before now if it's been happening for half a millennium?"

Lucy froze and looked at Freed with wide eyes. _A record…_ "That's it!" she shouted.

Freed started at her proclamation. "What is?"

Lucy dug out her communications lacrima as she spoke. "A record! There has to be a record of this somewhere, right?"

Freed frowned. "You would think," he said bitterly. "But if there was, you'd think we would have found evidence of it by now."

"That's because we've been looking in the wrong places! We thought it was a disease, so we've only been looking for proof of a disease. But we were wrong! It's not an illness at all. It only _looks_ that way! We need to look into records of curses that present themselves as something else."

Freed nodded in understanding. "But, Lucy" he hesitated. "We're running out of time to find the solution. Researching curses will take time. Perhaps more time than we have left. And even if we do find out what curse it is, we might not be able to do anything about it. Not all curses are reversible."

Lucy flinched. "I know that, but we don't have any other choice. For now, this is our only option," she sighed. "I'm going to call Hibiki. Hopefully he can use Archive to help us with the research."

They were silent as the waited for the Blue Pegasus mage to answer his comm. lacrima. "Hello?" came the smooth voice of the Archive mage as his handsome face appeared in the orb before them. "Lucy? Is that you?"

Lucy smiled warmly at the flirtatious man. "Hey there, Hibiki. Sorry to bother you so suddenly."

Hibiki chuckled lightly. "You're not bothering me, Lucy. I'll always have time for a beautiful lady like you. What's up?"

Lucy rolled her eyes but smiled at him anyway. "Well, to be honest, I was hoping you could use Archive to look something up for me? If you aren't too busy, that is."

Hibiki smiled at her. "I'd be happy to help you, Lucy. What do you need?"

"Well," Lucy hesitated as she glanced nervously at Freed. "It's… it's something personal and I'm going to need your word that you won't speak of it to anyone."

Hibiki's smile faltered. "What's going on? Has something happened? Are you all right?"

Lucy sighed in frustration. "I'll tell you the whole story but first, I need you to swear that you'll keep it quiet for now."

Hibiki frowned but nodded his agreement anyway. Lucy took a deep breath and explained everything to the single member of the Trimens. He listened quietly with wide eyes until she was finished. With a little help from Freed, Lucy also explained what they'd learned from her mother's journal and family tree. When they voiced how they suspected that is wasn't an illness at all, Hibiki's face paled considerably.

Without a word, Hibiki began to search through Archive, furiously looking for Lucy's ancestor Lucinda. What he found did not serve to comfort them. In fact, it sent them into a state of alarm and fear.

"It doesn't look good, Lucy," Hibiki said gravely. "According to the public records of Fiore, Lucinda Heartfilia was engaged to a man named Jareth Nightshade. Apparently it was supposed to be some kind of business deal between their families but Lucinda broke the contract and eloped with another man. Jareth tried to win her back but failed. An old eye-witness report claims that he vowed to get revenge by casting a curse on her and any of her female descendants."

Lucy gasped and exchanged looks with Freed. "What kind of curse are we dealing with? Is there a way to break it?" Freed questioned.

Hibiki shook his head sadly. "It looks like he designed the curse himself. Those kinds of curses were outlawed a few centuries ago. There isn't much information available on them today. Maybe, if you could find a descendant of Jareth's, they might know how to break it. Unfortunately, I can't find another mention of him in Fiore's historical or public records. It's likely that he either left the kingdom after he cursed Lucinda, or he lived the rest of his life under an assumed name."

Silence hung in the void between the three mages for a good long while before it was broken by the conductor announcing that they were approaching Magnolia Station.

Lucy said her good-byes to Hibiki as Freed gathered their things. "Thanks for everything, Hibiki. We really appreciate your help."

"Don't thank me, Lucy," said the handsome man. "I practically just handed you a death sentence."

Lucy sighed and looked at him with a small, sad smile. "Hey, now! Don't be like that, Hibiki. I'm not dead yet. Besides, you said if we find one of his descendants, they might be able to help break the curse for us. You gave me some hope."

Hibiki shook his head. "That's not a guarantee, Lucy! Besides, finding them isn't your only problem now!" Freed and Lucy looked at him questioningly as the train began to slow down. "Curses are serious business, guys. They're nothing to mess around with. They're very, very dangerous and difficult to handle. If it's not dealt with properly, it can hurt more than just the person it's meant for. And you've already risked a lot by containing it in a lacrima that's meant for diseases."

"I had no choice! I didn't know what is was!"

"I know, but that lacrima wasn't designed to hold a curse! They're not even stable enough to hold a disease! That's why they were outlawed here! You need to be very careful, Lucy. The curse has probably already weakened the lacrima. You might not have as much time left as you think."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Lucy and Freed found themselves standing in the doorway of the guild, shouting at each other, while the rest of the guild looked on in awe. Thankfully, Lucy had had the sense to place one of her sound barriers around them so no one could hear their fight. After a good ten minutes, Lucy ended their little shouting match and stomped off to get a drink from Mira at the bar with tears in her eyes.

Lucy sat at the bar in one of her sound bubbles while talking to someone on her communications lacrima while Freed sat across the guild with his team, his arms crossed and eyes glaring steadily at Lucy's back. No one dared ask either of them what was going on.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry it took me a little longer to get this chapter up. Life got a little busy there. Anyway, I know this isn't a particularly interesting chapter, but it was time I added some more info on her condition.**

 **Now, I want to take this time to thank all of you for sticking with me this far. It's getting close to the big conclusion and I want to warn you all that I have not decided if this will be a HEA or a kind of tragedy. Now, I'm not trying to discourage you from finishing the journey with me, but I did want to forewarn you that I haven't decided how I'll end it yet.**

 **I'll leave it here for now. It's time to work o chapter 14. I'm on a role tonight!**

 **~Andromeda**


	14. Chapter 14: The Revelation

Chapter 14

The Revelation

The next day, Freed and Lucy had made up and were back to researching together. Everyone noticed the slight tension lingering between the two guildmates, but no one was stupid enough to mention it. The peace between them wouldn't last, however. It was two days before Christmas when Freed approached Lucy once more with his concerns. They were sitting alone in the guild's library, unaware that their raised voices were attracting the attention of a few of their guildmates outside.

"Lucy! This changes everything! We can't pretend that everything is okay anymore." Freed said firmly.

"This changes nothing! We still have to find a way to break it! There's got to be a way to fix this!" Lucy countered. An inkling of familiarity washed over her but she shook it off.

"You know there isn't, Lucy. It's worse than we thought and it's ten times as dangerous now! You heard what Hibiki said; I'm honestly surprised it didn't kill you. And we can't take it out now! It's time. We have to tell the others-"

"No!" Lucy panicked. "You can't! We had a deal! I still have a few more months to-"

Freed shook his head sadly. Why was this so familiar to her? "Lucy, can't wait any more. It isn't safe for you now. We need help and everyone deserves to know. I…I don't think I can keep this up… I can't be the only one to know the truth anymore."

Lucy's eyes filled with tears as she grasped the sleeve of Freed's jacket. "No… please, I need more time. I don't think I can tell them now. I don't want to disappoint them again. I need you here with me. I-I don't have the strength to do this alone. You can't leave. Please, save me… Freed…"

Freed pulled himself away from the crying woman with a shake of his head. Just as Freed was about to reach the door, Lucy remembered where she'd seen all of this before.

"Freed, wait!" she shouted, all traces of her tears gone.

Freed froze with his hand on the door handle. He sighed. "Lucy, I can't-"

"I've seen this before," she interrupted.

Freed frowned and turned to face her. "What?"

" _This_ ," Lucy clarified, indicating the space between them. "I've seen this before. In my premonition."

Freed's eyes grew wide. "You mean-"

Lucy nodded. "Yes," she said. "I forgot about it – it's been weeks since I last had that dream – but this… you abandoning me… this is exactly what I saw in my vision." Lucy's voice was all but a whisper when she finished. She looked away as tears pricked at her eyes again.

Freed looked at her in shock and, in an instant, strode the length of the library to envelop her in a hug. He held her close, fiercely comforting her as she cried. He kissed the top of her head in a brotherly fashion before resting his chin atop it. "Oh, Lucy," he sighed gently. "I haven't abandoned you. I would _never_ do that. You have to understand… I'm scared, too, Lu. I swore I would help you but I can't if you won't let me. You have become my closest family. Let me protect you… See reason, Lucy. We can't keep doing this alone anymore."

Lucy trembled with emotion as she clung to Freed tightly. She took a deep, shaking breath as she relaxed in his arms. Taking comfort in the embrace, Lucy rest her cheek on his chest and gave a defeated sigh. "Okay," she said gently. "Okay. You're right, Freed. It's time to tell them."

Freed closed his eyes in relief. "Thank Mavis…" he whispered.

"But… you have to promise me that you'll stick with me until the end… I can't do this on my own either, Freed."

Lucy looked up at him with glistening eyes, still clinging to his waist. Freed looked down at her, completely serious. "I promise," he said firmly. " I will _never_ abandon you. I will do everything in my power to help you."

Lucy offered him a watery smile as she released him. "Thank you so much, Freed."

The man returned her smile. "Of course. Now, let's go. We should tell the guild."

Lucy flinched. "Wait. Can we… can that wait a few days?"

Freed crossed his arms and sighed. "Lucy-"

"I'm not trying to get out of it, I swear!" she pleaded. "It's just… I… I'm a coward, Freed. I know everyone's going to be angry with me. They'll be sad and I hate that I'm the one making them that way. I need some time to prepare myself. Christmas is in a few days and I want everyone to enjoy it… They don't need to worry about this just yet."

Freed's shoulders slumped in defeat as he relented. "All right. It can wait until after Christmas."

Lucy smiled and emitted a small chuckle. "Thanks, Freed. You're been so good to me. I promise, once the holiday is over, I'll tell everyone. Besides, if we went and ruined Mira's Christmas party like that, she'd probably kill us both!"

Freed's lips twitched briefly before he let out a bark of laughter. It didn't take long for Lucy to join him and before they knew it, they were walking out of the guild with genuine smiles on their faces. Neither of them noticed the hard looks they were getting from the guild's four dragon slayers…

* * *

Three days later, Lucy was humming a little tune as she danced around Freed's kitchen, cooking breakfast for him and his team. Christmas had come and gone and now Lucy couldn't help but be a little nervous. She'd promised Freed that they would tell the guild everything today and dread had been settling in her gut since she'd woken up that morning.

She couldn't help but feel like something big was going to happen.

 _Laxus_

Laxus sat at Freed's kitchen table, silently observing Lucy as she fluttered about making everyone breakfast. He'd hardly spoken a word since he'd overheard Freed and Lucy's conversation the other day. He wasn't the only one, either. Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel had all been unnaturally quiet the last few days as well. Natsu was itching to confront his best friend about what had happened, but Wendy made sure to keep him quiet. They all knew that the truth would be revealed soon enough.

Laxus frowned slightly as Lucy continued to cook for them. This had become a regular occurrence ever since they'd reconciled after the Grand Magic Games. Once she and Freed had returned from wherever it was they'd went, it had continued. Every day, Freed, Laxus, Bickslow, Evergreen, and Lucy would convene at Freed's house where Lucy would make them all an amazing breakfast. Every day. Without fail. Lucy would be there with fresh food and a smile. Today, however, Laxus could tell that something was off. Lucy seemed different – and not in the 'I'm-just-having-a-bad-day' kind of way. Laxus could sense a change in her that did not seem normal at all. Her scent was slightly different and her magic energy seemed to be falling off of her in odd, pulsating waves. It was like she was somehow leaking her stores of magic power. It was unsettling and Laxus got the impression that the others could tell that something was off, too.

Whatever it was, Laxus didn't like it. It unnerved him in a way that filled him a sense of impending catastrophe. The lightning dragon slayer had finally resolved to ask Lucy about it when a bright, golden light filled the room.

* * *

Lucy nearly dropped a towering plate of bacon when her faithful lion spirit opened his own gate to appear at her side.

"Ah!" she screeched. "Jesus! Loke, you scared the hell out of me! Don't do that!"

The usually flirtatious lion looked at her in panic. His face was pale and his eyes were wide. Lucy's scolding tone fell from her lips instantly. "What's going on, Loke? What's wrong?"

"Lucy," he choked out as he tightly gripped her hands in his own.

"What is it?" she asked. Everyone in the room looked at them in concern and suspicion. "Loke… you're scaring me…"

Tears glistened in the corners of Loke's eyes as he fought the tremble that threatened to shake his entire body. "Lucy, I'm so sorry… I tried, Princess… I tried… I can't believe we missed it…"

Lucy frowned as she took Loke's face in her hands to comfort him. She'd never seem him look so frightened, even when she had first fallen ill. "Calm down," she cooed gently. "Now, what are you talking about?"

Loke took a shuddering breath. "I found a descendant of Jareth Nightshade."

Lucy gasped and Freed shot out of his seat, instantly sending his cup of tea to shatter on the ground. "You did?" he nearly shouted. "Who is it? Where are they?"

Loke looked at Freed and flinched slightly. "Lucy," he whispered as he turned back to her. "It's Alastair."

Lucy's jaw went slack and, for a second, she forgot how to breathe. Her knees went weak and her spirit hat to catch her to guide her to a chair.

"Woah!" Bickslow said in alarm.

"Are you all right, Lucy?" Evergreen fussed.

"What's going on, Blondie?" Laxus asked, his voice filled with concern as he handed Lucy a glass of water while Freed clutched her hand.

Lucy didn't seem to hear any of her companion's concerns as she kept staring at her lion spirit. "Of course," she muttered, mostly to herself. "I should've realize it before… Her last name was Nightshade, wasn't it? Is that why she wants me… Because her family never let go of Jareth's grudge?"

Loke shook his head. "I don't know her motives, Princess, but… it gets worse…"

Lucy looked at Freed nervously. "What is it?"

"Alastair… I went to visit him in Bosco Prison, to see what was going on – just like you told me to. Apparently, someone had framed him for some giant heist but the authorities caught on to the lie. He was getting released. The day before he was supposed to be let go, he… he was killed."

Lucy's hands flew up to cover her lips as her tears fell. "Nnnno… Alastair… he was our last hope. There's no way Violet will help me now. She already blames me for her father being in prison in the first place… Now that he's dead…"

Freed pulled Lucy's hands gently with his own. "Don't worry," he said. "We will figure something out. You can't give up, Lucy. We still have time."

"What's going on, guys?" Laxus pushed. "What's this all about?"

For the first time since Loke had arrived, Lucy looked up at Laxus and her tears got stronger. The concerned look in his eyes shattered her heart. Mavis, how could she be so reckless? How could she forget that they weren't alone in Freed's house? How could she have gotten even one of her precious guildmates involved in this mess? God, she would never forgive herself for putting them through this. She should never have come back to Fairy Tail…

"I'm so sorry, you guys," she said softly. "I never should have involved any of you in this, but… I made a promise to Freed that I would tell everyone the truth after Christmas. So, tonight, I want you all to be at the guild by seven. I'll explain everything then… I just hope all of you can forgive me one day…"

No one was given the chance to respond before Lucy stood up sharply and addressed her sad looking lion. "Come on, Loke. I have a job for you." He nodded and walked to her side. Lucy paused and gave Freed a pained look. "Freed… I'm sorry to ask this of you, but… will you join us?"

The stoic Rune mage looked at her solemnly but nodded his consent. "Of course," he said before turning to address his guests. "I apologize everyone, but I'm afraid that Lucy and I have some things to take care of right now. Please, finish you breakfast before you go."

"But – wait, Freed! Lucy!" Laxus started to object but it was already too late. Stunned, he watched as Freed willingly took Lucy's hand and jumped into the black hole that she had prepared.

Just like that, they were gone again.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys! Look at this! Two chapters in three days! :) Now, just to let you all know, this chapter was going to be much, much longer but I decided to split it up. If I hadn't, it would go on forever and I want the set of events that follow this scene to have their own home. Trust, me, it's for the best. My fingers have been itching to write this next piece since I started this story a few months ago! So, I expect I'll be posting chapter 15 within the next week. Perhaps sooner, if I don't fuss too much over making it perfect.**

 **Anyway, enjoy!**

 **~Andromeda**


	15. Chapter 15: Lost it All

Chapter 15

Lost it All

The day had flown by and it was now quickly approaching seven o'clock in the evening. Lucy found herself sitting at a table with her team, quietly waiting for Loke and Freed to return. She's sent them on an emergency trip to the capitol to seek an audience with Violet who was being held in a nearby prison for her crimes during the Games. Lucy tried to act like her normal, bubbly self but she knew that everyone could tell that something was bothering her.

Finally, at only five minutes until seven, Gray had had enough of this falsely cheerful Lucy. "All right, enough is enough!" he said glaring at her slightly from across the table. "Spill it, Lucy. What's going on with you? You've been acting strange ever since you came back to the guild. It's time for answers!"

Lucy's eyes widened slightly in shock but before she could answer, the guild doors flew open.

On instinct, Lucy's attention snapped to the newcomer. It was Freed. With hopeful eyes, Lucy stood to greet him as he strode toward her with purpose. Without even realizing it, Lucy's feet had carried her forward to meet him half way. When they stood only a foot apart, Lucy looked up at him and softly asked him how it went.

"Well, how did it go? What did she say?"

Freed gave her a tortured look and swiftly drew her into his arms. The entire guild watched as Freed, the cool and collected Rune mage, cried into the Celestial woman's shoulder. No words needed said for Lucy to understand Freed's tears. Violet had refused to help them. With shaking arms, Lucy held Freed tightly as a single tear escaped her. Soothingly, she ran a hand through Freed's long, green hair repeatedly as she stared at nothing in particular; a defeated, blank look on her face.

"I'm so sssorry, Lucy," Freed sobbed into her shoulder. "I tried… Violet – she… she…"

"She won't help me," Lucy supplied calmly. "It's okay, Freed. I didn't really expect her to."

Freed gripped her even tighter as he fought to regain control of his emotions. "Violet – she _wanted_ to help, Lucy, but she couldn't. She said she didn't know how."

Lucy closed her eyes briefly and lightly kissed the top of Freed's head in comfort and apology. "I'm so sorry, Freed. I didn't want it to come to this. I _never_ wanted to put you through this… This… this is the end, isn't it, Freed? Mavis! I never should have come back to Fairy Tail," she said as tears stained her cheeks while the entire guild looked at them with wide eyes.

At her proclamation, Freed released Lucy only to seize her by the shoulders, a fierce look in his eyes as angry tears fell from them. "Don't you _dare_ say that again, Lucy! _Don't even think it!_ If you hadn't returned and something had happened, it would have been much worse! I'm not sure I'd ever be able to forgive you if you hadn't returned. You don't have to deal with this on your own. This is _not_ the end and we _will_ find another way to break it!"

Lucy looked at the Rune mage in shock before a sad, watery smile graced her lips. "Okay," she sniffed. "Thanks, Freed."

Cautiously, Team Natsu approached their blonde friend as she wiped her tears away. "Lucy," Wendy started quietly. "Is everything all right?"

"What's going on, Luce?" Natsu demanded with his arms crossed and Happy perched on his shoulder.

"Yeah, what's this all about?" the blue cat added.

Lucy flinched slightly when Erza cut in. "Lucy, Gray's right. You've been very unlike yourself since you returned to the guild. We've been patient. It's time you told us all the truth. What has been going on?"

Silence filled the guild as everyone looked at her expectantly. Lucy looked around at her guildmates, all of whom she treasured like family. They deserved the truth (and she knew it) but this still wasn't easy. When her eyes met a certain lightning dragon slayer however, intense emotional pain filled her chest and she had to look away from his burning gaze. Now was not the time to dig up any of her secret feelings. Now was the time to confess her sins. With a great sigh, Lucy gave them all one last, exhausted look.

"I know," she said just barely above a whisper. "You're right. I'm sorry I've been keeping things from you. At the time, I… I thought it was for the best. I didn't want to hurt any of you… I'll tell you everything…" Lucy's eyes landed on Asuka and she smiled warmly. "First, there's one last thing I want to do while I still have time…"

Everyone exchanged weary looks as Lucy approached the guild's youngest member. She crouched down in front of Asuka and gently extended a hand to grasp the little girl's. "Will you help me with something special, Asuka?"

The sweet child's eyes lit up and she nodded eagerly. "What is it, Lulu?"

Lucy smiled lovingly at the energetic response. "I'm going to sing a song for everyone," she said kindly. "And I need your help with the music."

Asuka squealed and leapt into Lucy's arms. Lucy chuckled and held Asuka in an almost motherly fashion. Ignoring the questioning looks the guild was giving her, Lucy carried her little helper to the stage at the back of the Fairy Tail guild hall.

Gently, Lucy placed Asuka on the bench next to her and positioned herself at the guild's only piano. Carefully, she handed the little sharp-shooter a small, blue music lacrima. "All right, Asuka," she advised gently. "I'm going to start playing on the piano. When I give you the signal, activate the lacrima for me, okay?"

The gunslinger offspring smiled at her and nodded. Lucy glanced briefly at the crowd now watching them before placing her fingers on the piano's keys. After taking a deep breath, Lucy let her fingers dance across the keys in a familiar rhythm. The song was sad and slow as the notes echoed throughout the guild. The words flowed easily through Lucy's lips, as if only she were meant to sing them, and the guild held its breath as they listened to their angel sing. Lucy's voice was like silk. Honey on a warm, summer day. The Celestial woman winked at Asuka and the little girl activated the lacrima in her hands. A multitude of other instruments began to echo through the building, perfectly in time with the piano and Lucy's melodic voice.

 **A/N: While writing this, I imagined Lucy to be singing** ** _'Lost it All'_** **by BVB. I would have included her singing some of the lyrics, but I don't want anyone to yell at me again for it. So, I highly recommend you guys listen to that song to better understand Lucy's heartache. Just imagine it with a sweet, feminine voice instead of Andy's godly tones. ;)**

By the time the final note played, there wasn't a dry eye to be found in the entire guild. Lucy's rendition of the unfamiliar song had moved everyone to tears. As if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders, Lucy smiled serenely despite the incredibly gloomy song she had just performed. It was like the lyrics somehow brought her peace instead of anguish.

Slowly, Lucy stood up and held little Asuka close before handing her to Bisca and Alzack. She turned to face the rest of the guild, silently seeking the man who had been her anchor since her return to Fairy Tail. As if sensing her need, Freed stepped forward from the crowd and hugged her lovingly. For a moment, all was right in the world. Nothing could touch this moment. Then, it shattered.

"Lucy, my child," came Makarov's gentle tone. Freed relinquished his hold on the woman. "It's time."

Lucy closed her eyes and looked down, bracing herself one last time. "I know," she said strongly. Something odd happened then. It was as if a shift occurred within her and she could feel her magic energy wriggling inside her. She'd gotten the same feeling at breakfast. Shaking off the feeling, Lucy looked up at everyone with determination. She opened her mouth to begin her explanation, but before she even got a word out, someone else let out a startled cry.

"Lucy!" Mira shouted in alarm. "You're bleeding!"

Lucy's eyes widened in shock as she gingerly reached up to touch her face. Sure enough, a small trickle of blood had begun to pour from her nose. Everyone began to fuss over it but Lucy didn't hear any of their concerns. Her heart began to pound in her chest as she stared blankly at the sticky, red substance that now covered her fingers. Freed went to her aid in seconds, trying to dab at her nose with the sleeve of his jacket.

"Shit," Lucy mumbled as the shift inside her grew stronger, breaking out in aggressive convulsions. _Damn it! I shouldn't have ignored the first warning._ "Everyone, get back!" she yelled. Everyone paused in their actions and looked at her in concern, but no one moved a muscle. "Sweet Mavis! Are you all deaf? _I said get back!_ "

Still, nobody moved.

"Lucy," Freed said. "What's happening?"

The Celestial mage began to shake violently as another wave hit her – this time, it was painful. She buckled at the knees and Freed caught her in his arms, startled. A strangled cry fought to escape the woman as the pain increased. Several people tried to rush to her side but she screamed at them all.

"No! Stay away, all of you!" Lucy barked as she fell to her knees on the ground. "Son of a… Loke!"

At her desperate call, Loke appeared at her side in a golden flash. He took one look at the pain on his loving master's face and instantly began to panic. "Lucy!" he shouted as he knelt in front of her. "No, no, no! Not again!"

"Again?" Laxus shouted as he fought his way to the front of the crowd. "What the hell do you mean, 'again'? What's happening to her?"

"God damn it, Laxus!" Lucy growled before Loke could answer. "Doesn't anyone in this guild fucking listen? _I told you to stay back!_ Celestial Blockade: Occultation!"

In less time than it took to blink, a pale blue magic circle formed underneath Lucy, Freed, and Loke. Lucy bit back an agonized scream from the strain of casting a spell in her condition. Several people tried to cross the boundaries to help Lucy, but they were instantly rebounded as they collided with an invisible wall. Lucy had just recently perfected this spell. It worked much like her sound barrier spell in the sense that it prevents outsiders from entering. The only difference being that everyone could still hear what was going on inside.

"Lucy!" Freed cried in panic as he supported her against his chest as they sat together. "What's happening? Tell me! What should I do?"

"Hold her," Loke told him as he removed his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. "Keep her still for me."

Freed did as Loke instructed and wrapped his arms around Lucy's torso to clutch her tightly. "What's happening to her, Loke?"

The lion spirit knelt in front of them again and griped Lucy's shoulder as another tremor rocked her body and a small cry left her. "It's the lacrima," he replied. "Something's wrong with it. I have to make an adjustment on it."

"Hurry up, Loke!" Lucy yelled.

"Okay," he said as he covered his right hand in gold light. "Hold on, Princess… you know this will hurt."

Lucy nodded vigorously as sweat dripped down her temples, her eyes set in a indomitable glare. "Just do it already!"

The crowd beyond the magical blockade watched in horror as Loke plunged his glowing fist through the center of Lucy's chest. Natsu and Gray pounded their fists against the invisible wall, shouting at the trio inside. Freed struggled to hold Lucy still as Loke concentrated on fixing the lacrima in her chest. Tears fell from Lucy's eyes as her pain seemed to heighten. A string of anguished cried and curse words were ripped from her throat as more blood trickled from her nose. It seemed like hours dragged by as Loke tried to repair the only thing keeping the woman alive.

Those outside the barrier fell silent as they watched the torture their precious Celestial mage was being forced to endure. Several members clung to each other as their tears fell. Carefully, Loke extracted his hand from Lucy's chest, a tortured look on his face.

For ten glorious seconds, Lucy thought it was all over. Then the pain returned ten-fold. She lurched forward, out of Freed's arms, clutching her chest. It was a struggle to breathe as she held herself up with one arm.

"What… happened… Loke…" she gasped as she leaned on her faithful spirit for extra support. "Why does it… still hurt?"

Tears fell from the lion's eyes as he tenderly stroked her golden hair. "The lacrima… it has a crack… Lucy… I can't fix it this time…"

"No!" Freed shouted in desperation. "There has to be something you can do! We can't just give up! That lacrima is the only thing keeping her alive-"

Gasps and cries of shock could be heard beyond the barrier. Laxus fought his way to be as close to Lucy as he could get.

"Don't you think I know that?" Loke snapped. "If there was something I could do to fix it, I would!"

Freed was about to retort when Lucy coughed viciously and blood poured out of her lips. She struggled to sit up properly so she could look her spirit in the eyes. "Stop fighting," she croaked weakly as another sharp pain shot through her upper body. "There's only one thing left for us to do now… Loke… you have to take it out."

Both men emitted cries of protest but Lucy's next shout of distress drowned them out.

"Lucy, I can't take the lacrima out," Loke said desperately.

"You have to!" she said firmly. "I can't take this much longer!"

"Lucy! If he takes it out, you could die!" Freed said in panic.

Lucy's head flung back and here eyes flew wide open as the most painful tremor yet ripped through her. The agonized scream that followed would haunt all those who heard it as it echoed throughout the guild. When the pain subsided, Lucy fell forward, catching herself on trembling hands.

"I… don't care…" she gasped. "Violet was our last hope of breaking this curse… and she doesn't know how to do it. I'm going to die, anyway!"

"No!" Loke shouted through his tears. "I won't do it, Lucy! I won't kill another one of my key-holders!"

Lucy looked up at him with weary eyes as a single tear fell down her face. "You didn't kill Karen, Loke. And you aren't killing me either. I'm going to die either way. Please…" she begged as another cough racked her body and more crimson stained her lips. "Please, Loke. Don't let me suffer any more."

Loke let out an agonized roar as he fiercely embraced his master and friend one last time. Tears fell from his eyes as he reluctantly agreed to do as Lucy wished.

"Freed," Lucy gasped as Loke released her. She turned to face him and flinched at the tear tracks that marred his handsome face. "Thank you for everything you've done for me… but I need you to leave."

Freed's eyes widened in surprise for a second before he protested. "Absolutely not! I'm not going anywhere!"

Lucy grit her teeth to stop herself from whimpering in pain. "You have to go, Freed!" she insisted. "You heard what Hibiki said; the curse is unstable now that it's trapped in the lacrima! He said it could kill more than just me now that it's been tampered with. The magic circle will protect everyone outside of it. Loke is immortal – he'll be fine! But you're not! You have to get away from me! _Now_!"

"No! I won't!" Freed said defiantly as fresh tears stained his cheeks.

"Freed, please!" Lucy pleaded in earnest as she gripped him tightly by his jacket. "I made a promise! I swore to Laxus that your involvement with me wouldn't put you in any danger! Don't make me a liar, Freed! Don't make me die with your death on my conscious. You have to leave the magic circle!"

"No!" he yelled as he gripped her wrists. "I made a promise, too, Lucy! I promised _you_ that I would never abandon you! I said I would stick with you until the end!"

More tears fell as Lucy tried in vain to push him away. "You _have_ stuck with me until the end, Freed. Please, go… you've fulfilled your promise."

"No, I haven't," he said gently as he wiped away her tears. "I, too, made a promise to Laxus. I gave him my word that I would take care of you. I'm not leaving, Lucy. Not until I make good on both of my promises."

"AAAHHH!" Lucy screeched as her pain increased yet again. "But… you could die…"

Freed pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead lovingly. "I know and it's okay. I've made my peace with that. I don't mind dying here, as long as it's with you, Lu."

Lucy sobbed as she finally gave in to the pain. She let Freed hold her in his arms as Loke prepared his magic once more with agony in his eyes. Freed held her hand as she perched herself on her knees before her faithful lion.

After a moment or two, Lucy gained the courage to say what she needed to. "Loke, be sure to tell the others how much I love all of you. I appreciate everything you've ever done for me and I treasure you all."

Loke shook roughly as his emotions flooded him. "Anything for my Princess. I love you, Lucy."

Lucy tried her best to smile at him despite the pain tearing at her insides. With great effort, she turned to look at the faces of her beloved guildmates outside of her boundary. "I'm so sorry," he said as she watched her devastated team pound on the invisible wall that separated them. The pain was so great that it was affecting her hearing. She couldn't catch more than a word or two of what they were shouting at her. "I love you all so much. I'm sorry I kept this from you."

"Lucy…" Loke whispered. "It's time."

The Celestial maiden turned back to her spirit and nodded as she braced herself again. With a tearful apology, Loke forced his hand through the center of Lucy's chest again, cringing at the scream his actions ripped from her esophagus. Loke's fingers circled the small lacrima pulsating next to Lucy's heart. He gripped it firmly before loving stroking Lucy's cheek with his free hand.

"It's okay, Lucy. It's almost over," he cooed.

Lucy whimpered before speaking weakly. "Just do it… get it out of me! Please!"

Tears tainted her pale cheeks and her eyes begged for the pain to end. In one swift movement, Loke tore the lacrima from its place. A blood-curdling shriek reverberated around the guild as a black cloud filled the inside of the Celestial Blockade, hiding its occupants from sight.

When the strange black fog finally cleared, Loke was seen fading back to the Spirit World as Freed fought to remain awake still clinging to Lucy's hand. Lucy was in the worst state. She was lying on her side with her vision fading in and out. Blood marked her chest where a gaping hole now disfigured her skin. With immense difficulty, Lucy looked up at the person closest to where she now lay. Forcing here eyes to focus, Lucy smiled when she recognized the striking face of Laxus. She frowned at the tears that covered his cheeks.

"Don't cry… Laxus…" she sighed as her body began to go numb. She could feel herself fading. "You were right… after all. I… I am… selfish…"

Lucy's eyes finally slid closed and the last thing she remembered was seeing Laxus slam his fists against the barrier. His shout filled her ears – though she couldn't be sure she was actually hearing anything.

" _LUCY!_ "

As the blackness of the abyss consumed her, Lucy decided she liked the sound of her name on his lips. She would be satisfied if Laxus saying her name was the last thing she ever heard.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay guys, that was chapter 15! I've had that scene stuck in my head since I started writing this story. I like how it turned out so I hope you all enjoyed it. Don't worry, this isn't the end. I promised a friend I'd end it a certain way. ;) So, for now, I'll take my leave!  
**

 **~Andromeda**


	16. Chapter 16:Renewed Light

Chapter 16

Renewed Light

Five days. Five days had gone by since Lucy fell to the ground, lifeless. Five days since anyone had last seen her smile or heard her laugh. Five days since she had so much as moved a muscle. Though no one dared say it out loud, they were starting to lose faith that she would ever return to them.

It was nearing dinner time on the fifth day when Lucy finally showed signs of life again. Laxus was startled from his thoughts when Wendy let out an excited little shriek.

"What is it, Wendy?" he croaked.

The young dragon slayer looked at him with a relieved smile on her face. She wiped sweat from her brow, having just performed a healing scan on the unconscious Celestial mage. "It's Lucy!" she chirped. "She's waking up!"

Laxus shot up from his chair instantly. "She is?" he asked with wide, hopeful eyes.

Wendy nodded enthusiastically. "It shouldn't be long, now. I'll be right back. She's going to need a lot of water when she wakes up!"

Laxus waved her away as he carefully perched his large frame on the edge of Lucy's infirmary bed. Gently, he took her hand in his as he gazed at her delicate form. Slowly, Lucy's eyes began to flutter open and Laxus let out a relieved cry he hadn't realized had been waiting to escape him.

"Lucy! Thank Mavis, you're awake!"

Lucy blinked a few times as her surroundings came into focus. Confusion filled her. This was the guild's infirmary. How could that be? She was just having tea with her mother and father in the afterlife. Wasn't she?

"Laxus?" she croaked. "What's going on? What are you doing here?"

"You scared the hell out of all of us, Blondie," he replied. "We… we thought you weren't going to make it."

Lucy blinked up at the lightning dragon slayer. Pure confusion marred her features. "But…" she whispered. "I _didn't_ make it… There's no way I did. I was in the afterlife – I _know_ I was. I was with my parents!"

Laxus' eyes widened for a second and he drew a shaky breath. Had she really died at some point? Did he really lose her? "I don't know anything about the afterlife, Blondie, but I promise, you're still alive. You haven't left us yet."

Lucy's confusion seemed to fade a little, but not much. "I don't understand," she said as she carefully sat up with a wince. "It should have killed me. The curse… without the lacrima, it should have killed me. I… I shouldn't be here right now…"

"I think I can answer that for you, Lucy," said a sweet voice from the doorway. Wendy stood there with a jug of water and a smile on her face. Swiftly, she walked across the room and poured the blonde woman a large glass of water. Lucy greedily gulped down the liquid as Wendy continued to explain what she suspected had happened to Lucy. "I believe the lacrima is what saved you. If I understand things correctly, the lacrima was doing more than just containing the curse. It was absorbing it. This whole time, the curse has been getting weaker and weaker. Unfortunately, the lacrima wasn't powerful enough to destroy the curse completely. That's why it cracked. It couldn't take any more. Thankfully it had already neutralized most of the curse, so when Loke took it out of you, there was only enough of the curse left to knock you out for a while."

Lucy gaped at the tiny healer as all the information sank in. Out of habit, Lucy placed her hand on her chest where the lacrima had been and was shocked to feel the rough patch of skin there. She looked down and sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of the scar that now marked her flesh. The deep, angry red scar clashed tremendously with the guild mark next to it.

"I healed that as best as I could," Wendy muttered quietly. "It should fade more over time but, I'm afraid it's permanent. I'm sorry, Lucy."

"Don't be," the Celestial wizard said softly. "It's fine. I don't mind scars. How long was I out for?"

"Five days. We were getting worried."

"I'm sorry," Lucy said with a tender smile. There was silence for a moment before Lucy sat bolt upright and looked at Wendy and Laxus in panic. "Freed!" she gasped. "Freed… is he… is he…?"

"He's all right," Laxus answered with a bit of a glare. "He got knocked out for a couple of days, but he's fine."

"Thank Mavis!" Lucy whispered as her shoulders sagged in relief. She looked down in shame. "I'm so sorry, Laxus," she continued. "I'm sorry I broke my promise to you. I… I didn't mean to. It wasn't supposed to be dangerous for him. Freed was supposed to be safe. I didn't mean to risk his li-"

"But you did," Laxus interrupted coldly. Lucy's head snapped up to look at him with wide eyes. "You did risk his life. You risked yours, too. By keeping it all a secret, you risked everything. Your life, Freed's… hell, if your shield hadn't held up, the entire guild could have fallen. Your selfish secret could have cost everyone their lives!"

"I-I-I dddidn't want to worry-" Lucy stuttered.

"God damn it, Lucy!" Laxus roared as he stood from his perch on her bed. "Don't you get it? _Fairy Tail is a family!_ We are _supposed_ to worry about each other! Family helps one another, protects and trusts each other, and they lean on each other! Family doesn't keep secrets that serious and they don't endanger the lives of others!"

Lucy's lip quivered as she fought to hold back her tears.

"Calm down, Laxus," Wendy said pacifyingly.

"No!" he growled. "No. I refuse to just smile and move on. I'm not going to just let her get away with this shit, Wendy." The large dragon slayer turned to Lucy with a fierce glare. He had to force himself to be firm when he saw her shrink away from him in his anger. He knew he had to let it all out. He couldn't let her off the hook so easily. "Do you have any idea what this little stunt of yours has done to the guild, Lucy? Do you have any idea what this has put everyone through? Freed was out cold for two days and was too weak to even stand up when your team practically pounced on him for answers, Mira has been out of her mind with worry, Wendy nearly passed out from magic exhaustion yesterday, and Levy has been in here every day to read to you. The whole place has been quiet as the grave, waiting for you to wake up. I haven't left that chair in five damn days and all you can say is that you _didn't want us to worry?_ Newsflash, Blondie, that's what you do when you care about someone!"

With a huff, Laxus turned and stormed out of the room, leaving the two females stunned. Silent tears made a path down Lucy's cheeks as she stared blankly at the door.

"Oh, Lucy!" Wendy cooed gently as she rushed to embrace her. "Don't worry about Laxus. He's just been worried."

"No," Lucy whispered. "He's right. I… I should've told everyone the truth. I'm sorry, Wendy. I'm so sorry!"

Before either girl could say another word, the infirmary door burst open and the room filled quickly with their nakama.

* * *

Hours later, near midnight, Lucy sat with her knees to her chest in her infirmary bed. Wendy insisted that she needed to stay a few more days to recover and Lucy hadn't argued. Really, who was she to deny the young slayer? So, there she was, sitting in the dark as the eerie silence pressed down on her from all around. It was rather unsettling to hear the guild be so quiet. Of course, Lucy knew she wasn't alone in the guild. Everyone had agreed that someone would stay with Lucy through the night. Tonight, it was Levy.

Lucy glanced at the small figure of her blue-haired friend and smiled softly. She was so grateful that someone had stayed with her. Although, she was finding it difficult to rest. So, without making a sound, Lucy shakily got up from her bed and made her way out of the infirmary. There was a lot on her mind; perhaps a small walk would help clear her head.

Carefully, Lucy made her way to the second floor balcony on trembling legs. Lucy grasped the railing with quivering fingers and peered down at the dimly lit, empty guild below. She let out a small sigh as Laxus' words replayed in her head for the millionth time since she'd woken up that day. He had every right to be angry with her and he hadn't been back to see her since. Lucy suspected he likely wouldn't speak to her for some time.

Suddenly, Lucy was shaken from her thoughts by a deep voice.

"You should be in bed, Blondie," it said. Startled, Lucy's legs nearly gave out on her as she looked wildly around. Directly below her at the bar, sat Laxus, drinking alone in the soft light of a lacrima. "Or were you planning on leaving the guild again?"

Lucy flinched. Laxus' cold comment stung. "I didn't plan on leaving Fairy Tail again," she answered softly. "But I know a lot of people probably don't trust me very much now. And I don't blame them. I was wrong. It was selfish of me. I kept secrets to protect everyone I knew how hard everyone would take it… Everyone was so sad when I left to train. I… didn't want to add to the pain. I know I was wrong, though, and I'm so sorry for that. I wouldn't blame you if you never forgave me." Lucy gazed down at the hulking blonde man below as a single tear escaped her. Laxus hadn't looked up at her once. He sat there, silently sipping on his drink while listening to her talk. Her heart shattered a little more at his silence but she knew she couldn't stop talking now that she had started. "I wouldn't be surprised if you never spoke to me again, and I couldn't even be mad at you for it because I don't regret keeping my condition a secret from you. I'm sorry I hurt you and I hate that everyone had to witness what they did, but I don't regret keeping you in the dark. I'll confess, I have another secret. Out of everyone in the guild, you're the one person I never wanted to tell. I _never_ wanted you to know I was dying because I didn't want to deal with the fact that if I died, I'd never see you again. I wanted to keep you from seeing my pain because I knew that if I told you the truth, I'd never be able to let go when it was time for me to die. So, you were right. Back when I left and you called me selfish… you were right. I am selfish. I didn't tell you because I'm in love with you, Laxus."

Without waiting to see his reaction, Lucy pushed herself away from the balcony and returned to the infirmary. She took one look at her lonely bed and climbed in next to Levy, curling into the smaller woman's side. After only a few minutes, the exhaustion and sadness caught up with her and she finally fell asleep.

* * *

Laxus sat there, stunned. Her confession had totally thrown him off. Surely, he hadn't heard her correctly? There was no way. When it finally sank in, Laxus shot up from his stool and dashed up to stairs and down the hall. He skidded to a halt in the open infirmary doorway. In the pale moonlight, Laxus saw Lucy's empty bed and for a moment, he panicked, thinking perhaps she had disappeared again. Then, he spotted Lucy and Levy cuddled together on another bed and he relaxed. With a sigh, Laxus leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed as he watched Lucy snuggle with her friend. He could tell she was already asleep. It was probably for the best. Laxus had no idea what he would've said to her, anyway.

* * *

A week passed before Wendy would let Lucy leave the guild's infirmary. In that time, Lucy had regained nearly all of her strength with the help of her team and various other friends. She had not been alone at all in that time and a part of her was grateful for that. It meant she had less time to dwell over her confession to a certain dragon slayer.

Carefully, Lucy made her way down the stairs to cheers with the help of Gray. She smiled at everyone but her eyes lit up when she spotted a familiar green-haired Rune mage waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her.

"Freed!" she shrieked as she flung herself into his arms. "I'm so glad you're okay! I was so worried!"

Freed chuckled lightly as he returned her hug. "I was worried about you, too, Lucy. I would have come visit you, but Evergreen and Bickslow insisted I stay at home in bed to recover."

Lucy's smile faltered and a guilty look replaced it. "They were doing what was best for you. They're wonderful friends."

Bickslow and Evergreen gave her looks of appreciation at her praise. Freed frowned at the guilt he could see written all over her face, but before he cold say anything about it, Lucy had turned away from him to timidly climb on top of the bar – much to everyone's curiosity.

Lucy stood up on top of the bar with shaking legs. Gray rushed forward to steady her but she brushed him off, gripping a support beam to keep herself from falling. With a deep breath, Lucy addressed her family, explaining everything to them, from the very beginning. The whole place was silent as she spoke; no one dared to interrupt her, but they all noticed how she avoided eye contact completely. The Celestial mage then went on to apologize.

"I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen," she said as she held back her tears. "It had been brought to my attention that my actions were selfish. I haven't been acting much like a proper member of the guild and I know most of you probably don't trust me now. I put Freed's life in danger… I put all of your lives in danger." Lucy's voice was barely a whisper now but they heard every word. Next to her, Freed was glaring daggers at Laxus, knowing that it was most likely the older man's fault that Lucy was so upset and being harsh with herself. "I've been thinking a lot the last few days and I've decided that I'm going to leave it up to you guys. I've been a terrible guildmate and an even worse friend. I hurt you all and nearly got one of my dearest friends killed. Fairy Tail deserves better. So, if you guys don't want me here anymore, I'll go. I won't blame you and I hope you can forgive me someday."

The silence that followed her speech was deafening. For a full minute, you could hear a pin drop. Lucy misread the silence and looked down in defeat before nodding in acceptance and shakily lowering herself to the floor again. Lucy hadn't taken five steps on her wobbly legs before she was stopped by a deep, assertive voice.

"You're not going anywhere, Blondie."

Lucy froze and slowly turned to face the direction the voice had come from. There, sat at the opposite end of the bar, was Laxus. Lucy watched him silently as he took one last gulp of his beer before turning to face her.

"If I'm not wanted here, I can't very well stay," she said in a small voice while trying to hide her shaking hands.

Laxus shook his head, his eyes boring into her. "No one said they didn't want you here. You assumed that's what the silence meant, but you're wrong. They're all quiet because you shocked the hell out of them. Not one of them holds any of this against you, so they don't know what to say. But I do."

Slowly, Laxus stood from his seat and made his way through the crowd. His eyes were locked on her fiercely and Lucy's heart skipped a beat.

"You're not leaving Fairy Tail again, because you just made a whole speech apologizing to everyone for being selfish. If you left now, that would be the most selfish thing you've ever done. You don't have the right to put everyone through that and then walk away again to let them pick up the pieces. We are a family and we take care of our own."

Lucy ran a trembling hand through her hair with a defeated sigh. Laxus was only a few steps away from her now. "I just can't do anything right by you, can I, Laxus?"

A small smile graced his lips as he finally stood before her. "You're not allowed to leave our family ever again. No one wants you to go," he said as everyone nodded their agreement. He leaned forward a little. "Besides," he continued with a smirk that made Lucy gulp. "I can't speak for everyone else, but I know I'd never forgive you if you left me again."

Lucy barely had time to register what he said before Laxus had seized her by her face and planted his lips on hers in a fierce, passionate kiss. Lucy was so shocked it took her several seconds to respond to the kiss, but when she did, it was like her entire world lit up again. The two were so lost in their kiss, they didn't notice the chaos going on around them. Jaws were dropped, girls were squealing, money was exchanging hands, Mira had fallen to the ground with hearts in her eyes, and Natsu and Gray were being restrained by Erza.

When they finally pulled away, both of them were smiling and Laxus pulled her to him by her slim waist. She looked up at her lightning dragon slayer with a peaceful smile. "All right, you win. I'll stay."

Laxus growled lightly. "Like I was giving you an option."

Lucy playfully rolled her eyes. "Stubborn dragon slayers," she muttered.

He chuckled. "Damn right… I love you, Lucy."

"I know."

* * *

 **A/N: Well, here it is! The final chapter! I am sooooooooo sorry that it took me so long to get this one up. I had the worst case of writers block after that last chapter and before I knew it, more than a month had gone by. Thanks to a friend, I was able to decide on how to continue. I hope you all enjoyed this journey with me and I pray no one hates this or me, too much. I've considered writing a small epilogue for this, but I wouldn't hold my breath. I'm fairly satisfied with how I ended this so I'll probably keep it.**

 **Anyway, if you have any further questions or even requests, feel free to send me a PM. I am so glad I got to share this story with you all and I can't wait to further contribute to this wonderful fandom.**

 **Heading to my birthday dinner right now, so I'll end this here. Have a nice night my lovelies!**

 **XOXO ~Andromeda**

 **P.S.: to reviewer LunaVermilion... you've read my HP stories, too? ^_^ OMG thanks so much.**


End file.
